The 2022 Ukrainian refugee influx is unique due to its speed and gender composition. In less than three weeks, three million Ukrainians, predominantly women with children, crossed the border. Initially, the reception of refugee women in Poland was based significantly on the solidarity of Polish people. In the study we adopt a qualitative approach, primarily utilizing fieldwork observations of Polish local solidarity networks of approximately 90 people, semi-structured in-depth interviews with leaders of these communities (n = 3) and with female Ukrainian refugees (n = 40). We employ grounded theory analysis to uncover the concept of ‘tied first movers’ as a new pattern of migration ties: fleeing women, being ‘first movers’ not accompanied by men, were still ‘tied’ to their family members during their journey. We also discuss the paradigm of female vulnerability and the gendered aspects of autonomy-driven and bottom-up approach of Polish solidarity aid.