“Mysticals, I must share with you this story of an 11-year-old boy who walked miles amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war to cross over from his home country to Slovakia, the neighboring country,” briefed Verum.
“Is he safe? Where are his parents?” said a concerned Felix.
“The reports tell us that his parents stayed behind. The Slovakian government official told the press that the young chap started his journey with a single backpack, plastic bag, passport, and a phone number written on his hand.
His photos were shared by the interior ministry of Slovakia on the social networking site, Facebook. It showed the boy being offered food and water upon his arrival in Slovakia,” informed Verum.
On February 24, Russia began invading its neighbor Ukraine immediately after Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a speech. Verum gave a quick recap of how the war started:
Until 1991, Ukraine and Russia used to be a part of the Soviet Union. Russia was the biggest and most powerful part of it. After the Soviet Union fell apart, Ukraine declared its independence. Since then, Russia has tried to keep Ukraine under its influence.
But over the years, Ukraine has moved closer to the West, as well as showed interest in joining North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU).
Russia did not like this motive and encouraged two Russian-speaking regions, Donetsk and Luhansk, to separate from Ukraine in 2014. Since then, there has been some conflict between the two countries.
“The people must be devastated,” said Orak.
“Yes, war is not the answer to any conflict. Children, women, soldiers, all are affected in a war. Like this boy. Do you know that the Slovakian government called him ‘the hero of the night’ because the young boy crossed over with unwavering determination and fearlessness,” added Verum.
“What happened to the number written on his hand?” said Scorch.
“Volunteers in Slovakia contacted the boy’s relatives. They picked him up. The boy is from Zaporizhzhia in southeast Ukraine that was attacked by Russians last week,” concluded Verum.
According to the United Nations, 15 lakh people have fled Ukraine so far.