A Scots dad and his family face being trapped in Ukraine as war breaks out while his newborn son and wife remain in hospital.
Ken Stewart, from Edinburgh, is currently unable to leave after his wife Tania, 36, gave birth to their 9lb son by caesarean section on Monday.
They remain under the care of medics at a hospital just outside of the capital Kyiv while the 54-year-old dad stays at home with their three-year-old daughter Yaryna.
Yesterday, American intelligence agencies reported that the Kremlin may order strikes on Ukraine's capital as early as Wednesday, the Mirror reports.
It is believed many of the 6,000 Brits living in Ukraine have already fled the country whilst some have stayed, stocking up on food and fuel in case war does break out.
Ken, who is waiting at the couple’s home 50 miles west of Kyiv, told the Sunday Mirror: “Our son Douglas was born on Monday and Tania is still recovering in hospital.
“Our plan was to leave but we are in a difficult situation since we do not yet have Douglas’ birth certificate.
“That can take one or two weeks here- and that’s without there being a war so who knows how long that will take?
“I am waiting until they come home and then I think we may leave and head west, where Tania has relatives.
“So I will stay here for a day or so and see what happens and then try and get away just to be safe. I am being practical. This is a bizarre situation.
“It’s strange because they have been telegraphing an invasion for such a long time. Who does that? I am keeping a close eye on the situation.”
Fellow Scot Stuart Mackenzie, who lives in Ukraine with wife Elena, added: “My plan will be to get my kids to safety then come back to help the Ukrainians in any way I can.
“That may mean organising or working with them but it might also mean picking up a gun.
“I am prepared to do that because it’s the Russian who are the aggressors.”
Junior defence minister James Heappey said: “British nationals should leave Ukraine immediately by any means possible and they should not expect, as they saw in the summer with Afghanistan, that there would be any possibility of a military evacuation.”
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