War, as reported on a phone: How social media is documenting the invasion of Ukraine

"It's so hard to get cash in Ukraine right now," the Australian photojournalist and documentary filmmaker said. "Basically impossible."

Wilson, 30, wasn't travelling alone. His mate, Matt Williams, 25, was sitting beside him.

Both Wilson and Williams are from small country towns in Victoria, and crossed paths while documenting the unfolding crisis in Ukraine.

The Australians have been reporting from the frontline, delivering information in real-time on their social media accounts as the world watches from behind their screens.

As the duo headed west, they were joined on the road by thousands of Ukrainians who had been forced to flee their homes and seek safety in neighbouring countries.

"Huge exodus of people moving towards western Ukraine," Wilson tweeted on Saturday morning, Australian time.

"Many car accidents, abandoned vehicles, convoys of families/friends. Occasionally seeing Armed Forces of Ukraine military hardware and soldiers."

"In my opinion, I should have died this morning," Wilson said in a 20-minute live-streamed video uploaded to his Instagram a day earlier.

Sleep deprived and filming in a bathroom, Wilson said: "my goal is to survive the first 48 hours."

Not everyone did. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said on Friday 137 Ukrainians lost their lives and 300 were injured in the first 24 hours of Russia's invasion. On Saturday, the Ukrainian death toll grew to at least 198, including three children.

Temporarily safe and with the adrenaline wearing off, Wilson tells his anxious viewers from across the world he is alive, and Willy (Matt Williams) is with him. Both, he says, are okay.

"We need to sleep but we also have a lot of research to do because we're actively navigating an active war zone," he said. "These are skills you have to take very seriously."

It was in the early hours of the morning, February 24. All seemed peaceful in the city of Kramatorsk.

Bryce Wilson was still "in his underwear in bed" when he heard "massive explosions" right outside his apartment.

The city lay dormant in a grey, wet blanket of fog. But with the morning birdsong came three Russian Kaliber cruise missiles.

Wilson said he leapt out bed and "was honestly scared" as he instinctually threw on his armour.

"I made a few calls that I needed to do, personal assurances to let everyone know I was okay," Wilson told his viewers via a livestream on Instagram. "It just kind of clicked what I needed to do. I understood these events; this was the war."

Over the past week, Wilson has been based in the eastern Ukrainian separatist region of Donetsk, documenting the increasing tensions in the region's capital of Kramatorsk.

He has been working in Ukraine as a freelance photojournalist since 2015 and was the first Australian journalist to embed with the Ukrainian army and Ukrainian special forces during combat deployments.

Kramatorsk wasn't the only Ukrainian city under attack. Roughly 100 missiles from both land and sea rained down across the country that morning.

Wilson was afraid the internet would go down and quickly decided to contact Williams, who was located 2.4 kilometres away from his apartment.

"We've just woken up maybe half an hour ago via shelling," Williams said on a video on his channel after news broke. "Russia has declared war on Ukraine. Ukraine is under attack by Russia."

Wilson said the pair agreed to meet at specific time and location.

"I knew this meant I would have to go out in the street while there was shelling going on," Wilson said. "But I had to go get my mate."

Although Wilson admits he "f--ked up" his navigation getting there and missed Willy by about a block, the mission was a success.

The Australians were walking back to Wilson's apartment in Kramatorsk when another missile flew over their heads and hit the airfield nearby.

Wilson was filming another livestream on Instagram, providing the latest updates since Russia launch a nation wide invasion of Ukraine and caught it all on camera. His video has since gone viral and has been watched by millions of people.

In his next livestream on Instagram, Wilson expressed his amazement.

"Like five days ago, I had never done a livestream in my life."

With each "I'm alive" update from Wilson, comes another tweet only hours later of another attack as the Russian forces close in.

On Saturday evening, Australian time, he tweeted: "Jets are flying above Vinnitsia. There is anti-aircraft fire, rocket fire. Air raid sirens."

An hour later he upload a video to Twitter as anti-aircraft fire were "targeting a jet high above. Rockets were fired and impacted in the distance."

It's nighttime in the video and the Australians are in the streets of Vinnitsa, listening to sounds of the firing ammunition.

There is a moment where Wilson pauses and says, "it could be a helicopter?"

The artillery sounds grow closer and you can hear Williams say: "Oh we're hearing rockets. Right, we need to move somewhere less open."

As more people around the world hear about Wilson's story and follow his journey through social media, hundreds, if not thousands, of strangers comment "stay safe" and thank him for his updates.

Hume Veterans Information Centre (HVIC) chair Wayne Taylor encourages anyone in the veteran community, regardless of whether they have fought in a war or not, to seek support if they find the events in Ukraine distressing.

Or if you or someone you know needs help, contact:

Bryce Wilson's friend, Matt Williams (Willy), is a veteran who fought with the Australian Army in Afghanistan and has since been diagnosed with brain cancer. The tumour is inoperable and incurable. However, this has not stopped 'Willy' from raising awareness and funds for research, which lead him to be awarded an Order of Australia (OAM) for his efforts.

To support Willy Beating Cancer, you can donate here.