The mother of an 11-year-old boy from Ukraine who traveled almost 700 miles to Slovakia with a plastic bag, passport and phone number written on her arm, spoke of her relief after her son escaped Russian bombs safely.
Yulia Pisetskaya said she was desperate to put her son on a train to Slovakia from Zaporozhye, not far from the nuclear plant, which came under attack by Russian forces last week.
She could not leave southeastern Ukraine with him because she was unwell and had to take care of her disabled mother.
Slovak border guards looked after the unnamed boy upon arrival, according to police, who called him a “hero”. On his hand was written the phone number of relatives in the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava. The authorities managed to track them down and have since taken him under their wing.
“I am very grateful that they saved my child’s life,” Pisetskaya said in a video message posted to Facebook on Sunday. “There are people with big hearts in your small country.”
She added: “I am a widow and I have other children. I want to thank the Slovak customs and volunteers who took care of my son and helped him cross the border. I am grateful that you saved my child’s life. There is a nuclear power plant near my city that the Russians are shooting at. I couldn’t leave my mom – she can’t move on her own.”
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Slovakia reported on Facebook that the boy “conquered everyone with his smile, fearlessness and determination, worthy of a real hero.” They said the authorities “warmed him up and provided him with food and drink, which they packed for his next trip.”
The officials added: “Thanks to the number on his hand and a piece of paper on his belt, he managed to contact his loved ones who came for him later, and the whole story ended happily.”
“He came all alone from Zaporozhye because his parents were supposed to stay in Ukraine,” police spokesman Denisa Bardeva told AFP. “The boy was cared for by many, whether it was police, soldiers, customs officers or volunteers, as well as various religious or civil organizations.”
Russian troops attacked the Zaporozhye site, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant that generates about 20% of Ukraine’s electricity, early Friday morning. They have since taken control of the facility.