Russian invasion of Ukraine: Plea to reunite with Basildon husband

Halyna Wright, 39, lives in Odesa, Ukraine, as an assistant teacher at South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University, but headed for the border when the Russian invasion began on Thursday.

After arriving in Wroclaw, south-west Poland on Sunday, Mrs Wright now awaits the outcome of their visa applications as she and her son hope to fly to the UK on Wednesday to reunite with her Basildon-based husband.

Mrs Wright said that she woke at 5am when Russia invaded.

“It was a very strong noise, like bombing, two times,” she explained.

Refugees - Halyna and her son Kyrylo are waiting on the outcome of UK visa applications. Pic: PA.

“I called my brother straight away because he works in the military and I asked him, ‘what is this?’ and he said ‘the war has started’.

“I said, ‘are you joking?’ and he said ‘no, it’s really happening’ – I couldn’t believe it… from that moment, I didn’t sleep.”

Mrs Wright and her nine-year-old son, Kyrylo, made their way to to Lviv, western Ukraine, by train, before continuing the journey by car from there and doing the last 12 miles on foot.

“It was very hard and it’s still winter – there was snow,” she said of the walk to the border.

Chaos - Traffic heading for the Polish border from Lviv. Pic: PA

“There were mothers with children, one, two years old – some of them even less than one… it was just terrible.”

Mrs Wright and her son will now travel to the Polish capital of Warsaw to submit documents to the UK’s visa application centre.

Her husband, Mark, is currently living in Basildon but hopes his family’s visas will be approved.

The pair met in 2018 in Odesa, Ukraine, marrying a year later – and have regularly visited each other in both the UK and Ukraine for the last four years.

Mr Wright said he has had “three, four, five days of pure anger” after Home Secretary Priti Patel ruled out a visa waiver for Ukrainians fleeing the conflict.

He added the war is “disgusting” and “horrendous”.

Loving family - Mark and his son, Kyrylo: Pic: PA

“It’s an absolutely terrible war,” he said.

“These young Russian guys, they were just told, ‘Right, you go to war,’ and that’s probably why they are losing – their heart isn’t in it.

“At the end of the day, the smaller guy with more heart will always win (over) the bigger guy whose heart isn’t in it.”