A British man has launched a one-man mission to save his wife and baby son stuck in Ukraine amid the brutal Russian invasion.
Ian Umney, an English teacher from London, travelled to the war-torn country to rescue Nelia and their little boy.
The former cybersecurity worker vowed he was ‘on the way to reunite with my family by whatever means’.
It comes as UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace urged Britons not to travel to Ukraine to join the fighting as he said the ‘very dangerous’ situation could lead to death.
Mr Wallace said he did not ‘want to see British people killed any more than I want to see Ukrainians’ dying.
His words followed Cabinet colleague Liz Truss saying she would ‘absolutely’ support Brits who chose to go to help fight against the Russian invasion.
The bloody conflict entered a fifth day on Monday as Russian forces continued to bombard major cities.
But Ukrainian soldiers and citizen warriors launched a strong counterinsurgency and have mostly held their own.
Ian Umney, an English teacher from London, travelled to the war-torn country to rescue Nelia and their little boy (pictured together)
Mr Umney has documented his journey through the Ukraine crisis across social media before he decided to fly out.
He posted a video on TikTok yesterday of his military bag packed with belongings as well as a holdall as he prepared to make the trip.
He captioned the clip: ‘I am heading to Ukraine to rescue my wife and son.’ He said in the footage: ‘I’ve got everything packed, not going to get much more in there.’
He continued: ‘Decided to take a little holdall because as a Brit going abroad I need the most essential things – PG Tips and a cup.
‘And I’ve got my everyday things in there, chargers, cigs and stuff, but yes, I’m ready to go. I’m leaving to the airport… I’ll let you know what happens.’
Mr Umney travelled to Manchester Airport where he was taking a flight to Krakow in Poland.
He said in another post: ‘I’m here at Manchester Airport heading to the gate then on to the flight to Krakow.
‘The next update I want to do is if I can get into Krakow, get on the WiFi, make sure everyone knows I’m there.’
He added: ‘But mainly will be when I’m at the border of Ukraine – so I’ll give you an update then.’
The former cybersecurity worker (pictured with his wife) vowed he was ‘on the way to reunite with my family by whatever means’
The next video he shared was of him walking through the railway station at Krakow Airport.
He said: ‘There’s the train going to the city centre, next stop will be the border. Stay in touch. Slava Ukraini.’
Mr Umney posted his most recent clip on Monday morning as he crossed the border into Ukraine on what appeared to be a bus.
He said: ‘So I made it successfully into Ukraine last night. And now we’re just approaching the outskirts of Lviv.’
The Briton went to school in Western Australia where he played first team rugby before moving to Germany to attend Frankfurt International School.
He went on to study computer engineering at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee in the US.
Mr Umney moved to Ukraine in February 2016 where he worked as a teacher at a school in Dnipro.
But for the past five years he has run his own service, which runs courses for locals looking to speak English.
His LinkedIn says: ‘Experienced teacher with a history of working in the private education system in Ukraine.
‘I have a strong interest in cyber security and I am currently studying for several CompTIA certifications to pivot into the industry next year.
‘My personal ambition is to relocate back to the UK next year, in the new career, and build up experience and skills to progress into digital forensics within 10 years.’
Mr Umney has documented his journey through the Ukraine crisis across social media before he decided to fly out. Pictured: Mrs Umney
Mr Umney appeared to toy with the idea on social media as the Russian invasion spiralled out of control before declaring he would fly out.
He wrote on Facebook: ‘I cannot sit here, while my wife and son are in Ukraine, and watch the freedom and safety of Ukraine be threatened by Putin.
‘I took four days of stress, upset, hurt, and anger but now I have packed my bag, planned, written my letters.
‘I’m now on the way to reunite with my family by whatever means. Please continue to support Ukraine and those who are in need.
‘I will post updates. I love you all. I will be safe. Stand strong, Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine.’
It comes as Defence Secretary Mr Wallace urged Britons not to travel to Ukraine to join the fighting.
He said he did not ‘want to see British people killed any more than I want to see Ukrainians’ dying.
But it comes days after Cabinet colleague Liz Truss said she would ‘absolutely’ support British nationals who chose to go to help fight against the Russian invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a new ‘international legion’ to defend his country and appealed to foreigners to come forward and bare arms.
Foreign Secretary Ms Truss told the BBC: ‘The people of Ukraine are fighting for freedom and democracy, not just for Ukraine but for the whole of Europe.
‘Absolutely, if people want to support that struggle I would support them in doing that.’
It comes as Defence Secretary Mr Wallace urged Britons not to travel to Ukraine to join the fighting
But Mr Wallace, who served in the Scots Guards, said there were ‘better ways’ for Britons to help.
He told Sky News Ms Truss was right it was a ‘just cause’, but added: ‘If you’re keen to help and you’re a United Kingdom citizen, come and join our armed forces.
‘Look, there are people who will go… I think what I would say is unless you are properly trained, unless you are a, you know, experienced member of an armed forces, I think there are better ways for you to contribute to the security of Ukraine.’
He said this could be through donating money through the Ukrainian embassy to be spent on weaponry and aid, or to volunteer with organisations helping refugees.
Mr Zelensky’s call for an international legion carried echoes of the International Brigades that fought against the fascists in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s.
Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba appeared to encourage the comparison, saying just as Hitler had finally been defeated, ‘we will defeat Putin, too’.
He tweeted: ‘Foreigners willing to defend Ukraine and world order as part of the International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine, I invite you to contact foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine in your respective countries.
‘Together we defeated Hitler, and we will defeat Putin, too.’
Volunteers from the Territorial Defense Units gather in an outpost to collect weapons, train and get their assignments in Kyiv
Mr Wallace was asked on LBC whether, with his military experience, he would head to Ukraine if he was not a Government minister.
He said although he would ‘always fight for my country’, he joked he would ‘probably be reduced by now to be in charge of, at my age, the Home Guard or something’.
But he said the situation in Ukraine was ‘very dangerous’ and citizens should find other ways to support the country.
Armed forces minister James Heappey was asked on Good Morning Britain whether he would echo Ms Truss’s words.
He said: ‘I probably wouldn’t. And I think that the travel advice is that UK nationals should not travel to Ukraine.
‘But if people are filled with a desire to stand up for freedom, like generations of young people before them, they would be very, very welcome at their nearest Army, Navy, Air Force recruiting office,’ he said.
‘I just think people have to have their eyes wide open to what war is and it is not somewhere that you just jump on a plane, grab a rifle and get going.
‘The people that you see doing that in Kyiv are doing it because they are facing an existential threat, out of absolute desperation.’
There have been questions about the legality of Britons going abroad to fight in previous foreign conflicts.
In 2014, the CPS warned UK nationals who went to fight in the Syrian civil war could be committing an offence, even if they joined the rebels fighting Bashar Assad.
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