Brit families with newborn babies TRAPPED in Ukraine ‘days from invasion’ as thousands of expats flee and flights axed
BRITISH families with new born babies are trapped in Ukraine as Russia looks to invade Ukraine.
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 mite’s emergency travel document on Wednesday - the day Putin’s forces are expected to invade.
Ben said: "They want to do a two-hour phone interview with me, but that's not until Wednesday - it is bizarre.”
Brit Ken Stewart, 54, and his Ukrainian wife Tania, 36, are stranded in their home north of Kiev last night because they don’t have a passport for their newborn baby Douglas.
Douglas was born on Monday, weighing 9lbs, by Caesarian section and Tania was still recovering in hospital as embassies ordered citizens to flee.
The couple also have a three-year-old daughter Yaryna.
Edinburgh-born 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.”
Another British couple were also stranded awaiting travel papers for their baby last night.
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Thousands of Britons 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 6,000 Brits 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.
'PROTECT MY FAMILY'
Edinburgh-born 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 from Oxford who has lived in Kiev for 26 years - told The Sun: “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.
EVACUATE 'FAMILY FIRST'
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.
Buckinghamshire-born 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.”
'MASSIVE' US RESPONSE
Former British ambassador to the US Lord Kim Darroch warned the evacuation of UK citizens could quickly descend into chaos.
He said: 'It will overwhelm the embassy's resources.
'You may have to arrange an emergency telephone line, you'll need to send people to the airport where, with lots of foreign nationals trying to get out, there will be chaos.”
It comes as America has vowed a "resolute and massive" response to a Russian invasion of Ukraine after reports it could happen on Wednesday.
The warning from U.S Secretary of State Anthony Blinken come during a phone call with his Russian counterpart, in the wake of fears an invasion is imminent.
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US embassy staff have now been told to evacuate Ukraine as the 6000 Brits living there were also urged to leave immediately amid growing fears a Russian attack would shut down airspace.
New intelligence now suggests Russia will invade Ukraine this Wednesday, February 16, according to
