A British father has successfully completed a two-day journey to Ukraine to be with his wife and son.
Ian Umney, from St Helens, Merseyside, went viral on TikTok as he documented the trip across Europe to be with his Ukrainian wife Nelia and two-year-old son Jonathan.
Prior to starting his journey, he wrote on Facebook that he could not “sit here” while his wife and son were in Ukraine. He said that after four days of “stress, hurt, and anger” he packed his bag and went to “reunite with my family by whatever means.”
The 28-year-old quit his job as a courier and English teacher and flew from Manchester to Krakow, Poland, on Sunday. He then travelled to the Ukrainian border, crossing into the country in the early hours of Monday morning.
On Monday afternoon Mr Umney caught a train from Lviv to Nikopol, which are around 500 miles apart, and on Tuesday at around 2pm Ukrainian time he told his Telegram followers he has made it.
“I made it to my family… tea in hand,” Mr Umney posted on the instant messaging service. In a video posted to TikTok later on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Umney smiled as he said: “Guys, I made it… it’s been a long time but I’m finally here.”
He said he would offer a further update later but needed to secure the home in Nikopol, taping over its windows to protect those inside from any flying glass shards.
In an update on Telegram at around 6.30pm local time, an air raid siren could be heard and Mr Umney said he was “heading back to the bunker” at the home.
Mr Umney said: “I just feel an overwhelming need to be with my family… the only thing I have to do is go and be with them and make sure they’re safe.”
He has been sharing videos of his progress on TikTok, garnering hundreds of thousands of views. “People have commented how I’m being selfless and a hero but I’m not, I’m just a husband and a father,” he said.
Asked what he will do when he gets to his family, Mr Umney said: “I’m not really sure… I’m leaning towards getting my family out but the journey to do that is a bit dangerous at the moment. We’re going to have to come to a decision about what’s best for us and our family.”
Mr Umney met Nelia in 2016, later marrying her, but had to return to the UK for work. He plans to apply for a spouse visa when they decide to return to the UK.
The culmination of Mr Umney’s journey came as Moscow warned residents in Kyiv on Tuesday to leave the capital as it was preparing a number of airstrikes.
The defence ministry said: “We urge Ukrainian citizens involved by Ukrainian nationalists in provocations against Russia, as well as Kiev residents living near relay stations, to leave their homes.”
The warning came as Russian president Vladimir Putin’s forces also began further shelling of the country’s second-largest city of Kharkiv.
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson said that no Nato allies are contemplating Ukraine’s pleas to enforce a no-fly zone over the nation to prevent bombings from Mr Putin’s planes.
The prime minister again rejected Mr Zelensky’s calls for British forces to actively join the effort, warning it would trigger a wider conflict with Russia.
Additional reporting by PA
