Ukrainian family describe "torture" journey to safety in Renfrew
We are sitting down with a mum and her 8-year-old son who are being hosted by her sister.
Last updated 12th Apr 2022
A Ukrainian mum is telling Forth 1 she and her 8-year-old son had to endure a 40 hour train journey to the Polish border and then waited weeks to try to get to safety in Scotland.
Yevheniia and David are being hosted in Renfrew by her sister Lana after being forced to make the heart breaking choice to leave the rest of their family in the war torn country.
Paperwork and visa issues meant they both had to stay in Poland for two weeks before they could travel here.
"People were gasping for air"
She said: "We were in a carriage full of people and there was not enough oxygen and people were suffocating.
"Everyone was gasping for air and the only thing on my mind was to make it out alive."
They faced the constant risk of being bombed while trying to escape Ukraine.
The food and water supply also ran out before they arrived in Poland.
David said: "There was no space to lie down to have a rest and it was scary."
"I am very upset"
Yevheniia's husband was not allowed to travel to Scotland with them because all men aged between 18 and 60 are required to stay in Ukraine to help fight Russia.
She said: "He is doing a lot of volunteering work and helping to give other people food if they are in need."
Speaking about his father, David said: "I thought it was a silly joke when I was first told men aren't allowed to leave and I am very upset that this is actually the truth."
The pair both want to return to Ukraine once the conflict is over and don't plan on staying in Scotland forever.
However, David has already made some new friends here and one little boy called Oran put his £20 pocket money into a wallet and gave it to him to buy ice-cream.
He told Forth 1: "I am also friends with Noah, Luke and Lucy.
"We went trampolining and we were jumping up and down and I had a really good time with them all."