Daughter in UK tells of 'longest three days of my life' as she waits for news from besieged Mariupol.
A Ukrainian family in besieged Mariupol has not been heard from since sending a message to their relatives in the UK saying ‘we are alive’.
Mila Resuggan has not had any communication with her mum, niece or sister since Tuesday as the port city comes under sustained heavy attack from Russian forces who have invaded the country.
Mila told Metro.co.uk that she is praying for their safety and her family is now preparing a rescue mission via Poland to help her relatives reach sanctuary, while supporting others fleeing the war zone.
The bank worker, 43, from Bristol, spoke as the coastal city of 400,000 people came under a relentless hail of fire that has shattered residential districts and cut water and power supplies.
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She moved to the UK two decades ago after growing up in Mariupol – which holds strategic value in south-eastern Ukraine – and now lives in Bristol with her British husband David and their daughter.
Mila is desperate for news of her 74-year-old mother, Valentina, sister Tatyana, and 14-year-old niece Sonya, and has been contacting friends across Europe and Ukraine in the hope of an update.
‘They’ve had no electricity, water, heating, or phone connection,’ she said.
‘Nobody can leave the city and no food can get in, it’s surrounded. I’m just hoping they are alive and wishing with all my heart we can bring them here.
‘It’s been the longest three days of my life. I have an 11-year-old daughter to think about, otherwise I would already be out there.’
In the message, Tatyana said, ‘evening, we are still alive’, but has not been in touch since, with communications down in Mariupol, which is still held by Ukrainian forces.
In preceding messages, her family said there had been a fight around the city but their neighbourhood had not been subjected to heavy bombardment.
The family’s hopes now rest on a humanitarian corridor being established that will allow people to leave the area.
While Russia’s defence ministry said on Thursday that such a route had been established, residents say the shelling has not stopped and there are doubts over their safety if they leave homes and shelters.
Those who are able to escape will then be faced with a fraught, two-day overland trip to the border with Poland, the destination for most of the 1.2 million people who have so far fled Ukraine.
Mila’s husband and UK-based sister are preparing to fly out to Poland and the family has launched a fundraising page to support their mission.
‘I’ve experienced emotions of sadness and anger, but now I want to take action,’ said Mila, who has been granted compassionate leave by her employers. ‘I felt lost, but now I want to rescue my family.
‘We are planning to organise a people carrier to go from Poland to the border, I want to fill it with supplies, collect our family and then give the vehicle to volunteers to help as many people as they can.’
The British government has opened a family assistance scheme that provides visas for Ukrainians with relatives in the UK.
A government spokesman told Metro.co.uk earlier today: ‘We have been working at pace to launch the Ukraine Family Scheme and it is now open for extended family members to apply.
‘As well as immediate family members, British nationals and people of any nationality settled in the UK will be supported to bring parents, grandparents, grandchildren, adult children and siblings to the UK.’
More than 1.2 million people have fled Ukraine since the invasion began eight days ago, according to the UN, with numbers fast rising.
Mila remains hopeful that her family will be among those finding safety.
‘I believe in God, and I’m praying,’ she said.
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