A Ukrainian family who have fled to Scotland due to the conflict with Russia have been left "devastated" after having to leave a member of their household behind.
Alina Konstantinova, 37, and husband Roman, 40, were living in Crimea with daughter Oleksandra, 17, and sons Yan, five, and three-year-old Martin, when they decided to flea Eastern Europe due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The family moved via the Homes for Ukraine scheme, which was launched in March. It allows people living in the UK to sponsor a named Ukrainian national or family to come to live in the UK with them, as long as they have suitable accommodation to offer.
However, the family were forced to leave Igor, Oleksandra's boyfriend, behind, as he holds a Russian passport - despite the 20-year-old living with the family for more than two years, and being a resident of Crimea for three.
The Konstantinovas, who are staying with a Scottish couple near Lanark, are now desperate for the Home Office to allow Igor to enter the country, fearing he will be called to fight for the Russian army against his will.
Oleksandra said: "We feel very upset of course. It's a big problem for us because he is Russian and we are waiting for his visa, it's very difficult. Very devastating.
"I think it would be a lot better if he could come to in Scotland, because the situation in Russia is very difficult and very dangerous.
"Of course it's terrible to be separated from him. We have been together for three years. My whole family are very worried about him. He had been living with us for two years. He was part of the family.
"We just want him to make it to Scotland as soon as possible."
Stephen, who is hosting the family with his husband, took in the Konstantinovas through the Homes for Ukraine scheme, with the group arriving on September 10.
While the family originally hoped to bring all six of their household over to Scotland, they had to eventually make the distressing decision to leave Igor behind, as one of their children's visas was about to expire.
Stephen added: "Igor is a Russian passport holder and Vladimir Putin is expected to prevent any working-age male from leaving the country, so we expect him to be trapped in Russia and forced into the army, against his will.
"We've been contacting the UK Home Office since May when the applications were made, and have been getting next to no response at all.
"The rest of the family had to come over on September 10 or they would have had to submit new applications."
Stephen said that the process, other than Igor being denied entry, had gone "relatively smoothly", but fears it is now too late for Igor to come to Scotland.
He added: "We have contacted our MP Angela Crawley, and the Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Hon Suella But don't seem to be getting anywhere. It really is getting desperate for the poor soul.
"The family have been living in Crimea, and at that time they hadn't been in an active warzone. But, as ethnic Ukrainians, they didn't want to be treated as second-class citizens, so they wanted to move.
"Since the family have flown over here, Igor has gone back to live with his parents in Volgograd in Russia. He's a student so he had an exemption, previously.
"He got a phone call on Tuesday, September 20, and was told that he was likely to get called up to the army. He's still living with his family at the moment, but I think he's going to be forced into joining the army reserves, and facing the conflict in Ukraine.
"It's becoming a bit desperate. If we don't get him over in the coming days, I worry we're not going to be able to get him over at all.
"He's very distressed. He'd chosen to settle with a Ukrainian family, he lived over there in Crimea with them. He doesn't agree with Putin's war, as I'm sure many Russians don't.
"The mood among the rest of the family is pretty sombre."
On September 20, Putin warned the West that Russia would use all the means at its disposal to protect its territory, saying: "It's not a bluff."
He accused the West in engaging in "nuclear blackmail" and noted "statements of some high-ranking representatives of the leading Nato states about the possibility of using nuclear weapons of mass destruction against Russia".
A spokesperson for the Home Office said: "Taken together, our generous Homes for Ukraine and Ukraine Family schemes are one of the fastest and biggest visa programmes in UK history, with more than 186,500 visas issued and more expected to come through these uncapped routes.
“[Igor's] application is currently still under consideration and we will shortly be in touch.”
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