Group of 50 Ukrainian orphans to fly to Britain after fleeing Putin’s invasion
A GROUP of 50 orphans fleeing Ukraine are about to fly to Britain.
The children, aged from six to 17, left on March 8 from five orphanages in under-fire Dnipro and are waiting in Poland.
Nine adults are accompanying them, but although they have flights to Stansted arranged for Monday officials are still trying to find the youngsters safe and suitable accommodation.
Unlike children fleeing the refugee crisis in 2015, they are not classified as ‘unaccompanied child asylum seekers’.
They are accommodated by four ‘orphan mums’ who treat the children as their own and will stay with them until beyond the age of 18.
Media manager for charity Dnipro Kids Appeal, Duncan MacRae, 41, flew out on March 16 to Pozon in Poland.
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Mum-of-two Natalie Radchenko, 38, has worked for the charity, founded by her mum Irinia, for 17 years.
Natalie made the decision to leave on March 6 and upped sticks on March 8.
Despite the turmoil, the children have been happy in their new lives in a hotel.
She said: “Russian soldiers attacked a nuclear factory an hour from Dnipro, that’s when we realised it’s time to run.
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“When the Russian soldiers went to the nuclear facility that was when we realised we needed to go, on March 6.
“On March 8 we left the city.
“We left by train, it was two or three people in one bed.
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“People were helping us on our escape, during the evacuation.
“They have had the cinema, bowling, they have been to play areas, people are surprised to see happy kids."
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