A British teacher is in a race against time to save his wife and son in Ukraine as the Russian invasion ramped up a gear.
Ian Umney is on a 12-hour train journey from Lviv to Nikopol, near Dnipro, as he desperately tries to reach Nelia and their baby boy.
The 28-year-old from St Helens in Merseyside was travelling the 500 miles overnight through the war-torn country as Vladimir Putin’s bombs rained down.
He shared a heartwarming update on his social media this morning saying he ‘will soon be in my wife’s arms and have my son in mine’.
It comes as Russia’s war on Ukraine entered its sixth day, with a 40-mile convoy of tanks and armoured vehicles inching closer to the capital Kyiv.
Putin stepped up shelling of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, pounding civilian targets there.
But Ukrainian fighters are putting up a fierce resistance and Russia has not been able to dominate the skies.
Ian Umney is on a 12-hour train journey from Lviv to Nikopol, near Dnipro, as he desperately tries to reach Nelia and their baby boy
Mr Umney has documented his rescue mission over the last few days on TikTok, saying he could not just sit in Britain and do nothing.
He flew from Manchester Airport to Krakow in Poland on Sunday before getting a train to Lviv in west Ukraine.
In an update on Tuesday morning, he shared a video message while on another railway line through western Ukrainian heartlands to Nikopol.
He said: ‘Turbulent morning with trains being delayed and not being here but now I’m on the train, it’s an overnight train so it will take all night.
‘I should be in my wife’s city in 12 hours so that’s the time frame that I’ve got for myself.
‘How long it’s going to take to get there on average… 12 hours I should be in the arms of my wife and my son will be in my arms.
‘So not long left, just the rest of the evening on this train, then the night time and then tomorrow morning into the afternoon.
‘My journey’s not over yet. I still have the entire… nearly the entire width of Ukraine to traverse, but it’s nearly there. It’s nearly time for family time.’
The 28-year-old from St Helens in Merseyside was travelling the 500 miles overnight through the war-torn country as Vladimir Putin’s bombs rained down
Mr Umney added a second clip this morning, but it was believed to have delayed uploading from last night due to a lack of signal.
He said: ‘So there’s not much to give an update on really. I’m on the train. Still. It’s a long, long, long, long train journey over the other side of the country.
‘I should arrive, I estimate GMT 11am. I should arrive at a station at about 11am. But I am going to update everyone tomorrow morning.
‘I should have better signal so I should be able to go live but right here in central Ukraine it’s nearly impossible.
‘Everyone keeps saying ”update, update, update”… I’m on a train bro, I can’t do anymore. But thank you I’ll speak to you tomorrow.’
Mr Umney’s videos have garnered millions of views across social media, with some calling him a hero.
Asked what he will do when he gets to his family, he said: ‘I’m not really sure… I’m leaning towards getting my family out but the journey to do that is a bit dangerous at the moment.’
He continued: ‘We’re going to have to come to a decision about what’s best for us and our family.
‘People have commented how I’m being selfless and a hero but I’m not, I’m just a husband and a father.’
The former cybersecurity worker (pictured with his wife) vowed he was ‘on the way to reunite with my family by whatever means’
Mr Umney has documented his journey through the Ukraine crisis across social media before he decided to fly out. Pictured: Mrs Umney
Mr Umney met Nelia in 2016, later marrying her, but had to return to the UK for work. He plans to apply for a spouse visa when they decide to return to the UK.
Mr Umney said his wider family were ‘completely against’ him going to Ukraine and warned him not to.
‘My uncle is senior Army… he’s quite well clued up on what’s happening in Ukraine and he advised me not to go.
‘I just told him it is my decision, it’s my family – I have to be there.’ Despite the warnings, Mr Umney said he ‘feels safe’ in Ukraine.
He said: ‘I don’t feel in danger at all, I feel like it’s a normal day, if I were living here, it would be a normal trip from one place to another.
‘I’ve not been to the east yet, I don’t know if the situation there is going to be a lot more strict.
‘But in the gateway to Europe, it’s very much calm, collected, quite organised and there is a massive amount of help for people over here.’
Mr Umney’s brother, Garry Umney, said he has the ‘full support’ of his family.
The 30-year-old said: ‘He has my respect, he has the full support of his family both home and abroad, and we stand with the Ukrainian people and pray for a peaceful resolution to this conflict.
‘Ian is very happy with the positive responses he has had from people all over, including the Ukrainian people he comes into contact with.’
Before flying Mr Umney posted a video of the provisions he was taking in a military rucksack and holdall.
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 met Nelia in 2016, later marrying her, but had to return to the UK for work. He plans to apply for a spouse visa when they decide to return to the UK
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 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 a further 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.
‘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 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.’
Yesterday 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.
Volunteers from the Territorial Defense Units gather in an outpost to collect weapons, train and get their assignments in Kyiv
He said he did not ‘want to see British people killed any more than I want to see Ukrainians’ dying.
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.’
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.’
