A Ukrainian father broke down in tears as he said goodbye to his partner and young daughter as they allegedly boarded a bus for safety while he remained behind to fight, a heartbreaking viral video shows.
The clip gives a horrific glimpse into how the Eastern European conflict is tearing families apart.
In the emotional video, the father fixes his daughter’s winter hat before he bends down and gives her a kiss on the cheek.
He subsequently holds her hands and says something to her before he begins profusely sobbing, holding his head against his daughter’s pink coat.
She begins crying loudly too as they embrace one more time before she and the woman board a bus, presumably heading away from the fighting toward a safety zone.
It’s not known where exactly the video was filmed.
However, Ukraine faces a three-sided military offensive from the air, land and sea after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine Wednesday night.
By late Thursday, troops continued marching closer toward Kyiv.
“Families are being forced to make the agonizing decision to split up,” one witness said, according to the Sun. “Women and children are heading to the safe zones while the men stay behind to fight to protect their homes.”
The witness told the paper that many Ukrainians did not believe that Putin would actually invade. “But now they are finding whatever form of transport they can to get out — even going to neighboring countries such as Moldova,” they said.
Ukraine’s state border service announced that all men between the ages of 18 and 60 are barred from leaving the country following the imposition of martial law.
Global leaders have warned that Russia’s incursion into Ukraine will cause a major humanitarian crisis, with millions of refugees expected to flee the violence to safety in the west. Leaders in Poland, Moldova and Romania are some neighboring states that have prepared to accept the waves of people expected.