Young Ukrainian Boy Seeks Refuge In Slovakia By Travelling 600 Miles All By Himself

"Every war is a war against children" - Eglantyne Jebb

Chelsi

• Published in News
• March 15, 2022

Ukraine and its people will never be the same after the dust has settled on this war. They were living their lives like any other normal day when suddenly, bullets and bombs were delivered outside on their doorstep.

A country of peace and its citizens are forced to make difficult decisions immediately. Their lives are now forever changed but they don't have a second to waste.

Most adults are tasked with answering a difficult question: do they stay and fight for their country's freedom or do they seek safety along with their family?

This choice is made even heavier when children are a part of the equation. We all have seen the video of the Ukrainian father saying goodbye to his daughter and shed tears at the injustice of it all.

Parents are forced to leave their kids at the kindness of a stranger in another country's border while they have to make the journey back and fight for Ukraine. Moldova, Slovakia, and Poland have endless stories like these but one story of an 11-year-old boy stood out.

Following his mom's orders, the kid traveled 600 miles from Southeastern Ukraine to the border of Slovakia to seek safety. He made the journey with nothing but his passport and phone numbers written on his hand.

The Ukrainian boy who made the difficult journey alone

The Slovakian Ministry of Interior shared the story of the 11-year-old. They were forced to evacuate their home in Zaporizhzhia because it's close to the nuclear plant that was under attack recently.

The boy's mother, Yulia Pisetskaya, explained that she had no choice but to send her son alone.

She said her choice was borne out of desperation. The boy traveled 600 miles via train because his mom had to stay behind to care for her disabled mother and she is also unwell.

Slovakia's Internal Organization for Migration reports that a dozen of migrant minors without parents or guardians have crossed the Slovakian border.

The volunteers in the border gave the 11-year-old a meal and they called the numbers scribbled on his hand

His relatives wasted no time and immediately went to the boy's rescue as soon as they were contacted. They also shared that his other siblings made it safely across the border.

Yulia Pisetskaya said she couldn't leave her own disabled mother behind but she is grateful to everyone who came to her children's aid

She had no choice but to send her children away because Russia has attacked the largest nuclear power plant in Europe

The nuclear power plant generates 20% of Ukraine's electricity and it is very near their home in Zaporizhzhia. The boy's mother was put in a desperate position and had to send her kids by themselves.

It must have been truly difficult for her to send her son alone on a 600-mile journey but the Ukrainian mother was stuck between a rock and a hard place

The mother pleads for everyone to help the children of Ukraine

According to the head of the International Organization for Migration in Slovakia, the sadness from those who make it to the border is palpable. Their fear is dominant despite the sense of relief from crossing safely.

The Slovakian Interior Ministry have said that the boy and his siblings have applied for temporary protection

The brave boy's name is Hassan

The Slovakian Minister for Interior has reiterated their promise to help Ukrainian refugees who seek safety in Slovakia. Their government will provide social security, food, health care, housing, education, and job opportunities.

The volunteers share that their hearts were especially touched by the boy's bravery, his warm smiles, and hopeful outlook

They are not alone because everyone who has read the story shared their admiration for the brave Hassan

He deserves all the good things in the world

Hopefully, he and his siblings can soon be with their mom and grandma

The Slovakian government has promised their safety and well-being

Imagine being in the mom's position? It must have been heartbreaking.

It's good that he has relatives who can look after him

The people of Ukraine are in a dire position but the kid's story is just one of the many stories of courage

As courageous and inspiring his story is, it is also extremely sad

What the people of Ukraine are going through is unthinkable

This story is a hopeful one set in the bleak landscape of an unjust war. Hassan and all the children of Ukraine do not deserve to experience the horrors that will haunt them for life.

Despite what he has witnessed, it is admirable that Hassan and the other refugees are remaining hopeful for their beloved country. Slava Ukraini!

Chelsi