Families trapped in Ukraine as thousands flee amid invasion fears

Scores of expats and travellers remain trapped in Ukraine amid fears an invasion and air blitz from Russia could be just days away.

The Australian Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine. The country is under threat of an invasion. Picture: Google

Families with newborn babies are trapped in Ukraine as Russia looks to invade the country.

Ben Garratt, 40, and his wife, Alice, from north London, had baby Rapael using an IVF surrogate after moving to Kiev in December.

But they have now been summoned to an embassy interview to apply for the child’s emergency travel document on Wednesday – the day Putin’s forces are expected to invade, The Sun reported.

Ben said: “They want to do a two-hour phone interview with me, but that’s not until Wednesday – it is bizarre.”

Fellow UK resident Ken Stewart, 54, and his Ukrainian wife Tania, 36, are stranded in their home north of Kiev because they don’t have a passport for their newborn baby Douglas.

Douglas was born on Monday, weighing 9 pounds (4 kilograms), by caesarean section and Tania was still recovering in hospital as embassies ordered citizens to flee.

The couple also has a three-year-old daughter Yaryna.

Ken said: “We’re are in a difficult situation since we do not yet have Douglas’s birth certificate.

“So I am waiting until they come home and then I think we may leave and head west, where Tania has relatives just to be safe.”

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Ken Stewart and wife Tania are stranded with baby Douglas and their three-year-old Yaryna. Picture: Ken Stewart

Another expat couple were also stranded awaiting travel papers for their baby last night.

Thousands of foreigners were packing bags to flee Ukraine last night after being told to evacuate – but some vowed to return to help resistance fighters once their children are safe.

Around 6000 British expats live and work in the strife-torn state under threat from more than 200,000 troops loyal to ruthless Russian bully Vladimir Putin.

But many were holding fire before deciding to evacuate last night, despite being told to leave immediately by the British Embassy amid fears of an invasion and air blitz.

And some have offered to come back once their children are safely abroad to stand-to-shoulder with Ukrainian friends against Russian aggression.

A joint exercises of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus as part of a military exercise, against the backdrop of tensions between the West and Russia over neighbouring Ukraine. Picture: Leonid Shcheglov/Belta/AFP

Healthcare firm boss Stuart McKenzie, 51, organised a 200-strong expat flag procession through Kiev in support of locals last week.

The dad-of-three is now planning to fly or drive his family to safety in Europe over the next 48 hours – but will return to support Ukraine.

Stuart – who is married to Ukrainian Lena, 49, and has children Victoria, 20, Robert, 14, and Stuart, 12 and has lived in Kiev for 28 years – said: “My priority is to protect my family.

“But I also plan 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’m prepared to do that because it’s the Russians who are the aggressors.”

Stuart – who has been firearms training on a Kiev gun range – said he expected chaos if tensions shut down airspace.

He added: “There won’t be flights, the roads will be blocked, are you going to be able to get fuel for your car? Is there going to be cash in the banking machines?

“These things can go out of control very fast so we’ve got to be on the right side of the chaos.”

Sean Kelly – a 53-year-old dad-of-two who has lived in Kiev for 26 years – said: “I’m disgusted by what Putin is doing to our friends in Ukraine and will do everything in my power to support them.

He said: “He has painted himself into a corner to the point where everyone here is expecting an attack at any moment.

“And if that happens I would be willing to take up arms and fight for Ukraine – I would do anything I can to help them.”

Dutch-based KLM last night became the first airline to order an immediate halt to scheduled services to Ukraine over Russian invasion concerns last night.

Ken Stewart, 54, and his Ukrainian wife Tania, 36, are stranded in their home north of Kiev. Picture: Ken Stewart

Logistics firm boss Sean, who lived in Kiev with Ukrainian-born wife Natalia and children Oliver, two, and Elizabeth, seven, added: “I’ll evacuate my family first by driving them to Odessa in the south then put them on a ferry across the Black Sea to Turkey.

“Lots of other Brits will go the shorter overland route west to Poland but there will be chaos at that border if bombs start falling and flights out are stopped.”

Business magazine publisher Peter Dickinson, 45, wife Susanna, 39, and children Nina, 11, and 14-year-old Elizabeth were also on standby to flee Kiev last night.

Peter – who settled in the city after working for the British Council 20 years ago – said: “Few of the Brits I have spoken to are going anywhere just yet.

“The embassy would not be asking us to get out unless they had seen compelling evidence that something very bad is about to happen – that’s what concerns us.

“We might get the children home to stay with my parents in the UK or just take a two-week break somewhere to see what happens but will not be dashing to the airport just yet.

“If bombs start falling on Kiev I may well regret my decision but that’s a risk Putin is making us all take.”

This story originally appeared on The Sun and was republished with permission.