Ukraine conflict: Grandfather reunited with family in Bath

Mykola Katrechko (left) was reunited with his daughter Olena Shackell and grandchildren at Bristol Airport

A grandfather who helped children flee an orphanage in Ukraine has been reunited with his daughter in the UK after securing a visa.

Mykola Katrechko, 67, from Kharkiv, flew into Bristol Airport on Monday to meet his daughter Olena Shackell and her family who live in Bath, Somerset.

He fled to Poland after the orphanage he worked in was damaged by a bomb, before making the journey to England.

"I feel very happy and so relieved that my father is here," said Ms Shackell.

"He is with us. He is safe and he can stay with us, with his grandchildren and with me. It has definitely been a happy ending for us," she added.

Mr Katrechko stayed to support children at the orphanage when the Russian invasion began and helped to evacuate them all to safety when bombs fell in the area, smashing the windows of the building.

"My father doesn't see it as a brave act, he just said that's probably what any decent, normal person would do," said Ms Shackell.

Ms Shackell said her father hoped to return to Kharkiv to help rebuild the city

She said her father did not want to open up too much about what he had been through and it was not until he got to Poland that he told her about the bombing.

"All that time he was telling me 'everything's fine, don't you worry'," she added.

Ms Shackell said he told her that there was some fear and panic in the "very unexpected and sudden bombing" in Kharkiv but people were now "getting used to war".

He had struggled to leave Ukraine, with priority given to women and children, but eventually took a 24-hour journey on a packed evacuation train.

His daughter said: "He's a pensioner who eight years ago went through an emergency operation on his skull, so he is vulnerable, but he found it really difficult to get on the train.

"Nobody wanted to take male passengers," Ms Shackell said.

Earlier in March, Ms Shackell (right) took part in a demonstration held in Bath to support Ukrainian people

She said that he, along with many of her friends and relatives, hoped to return to their homes in Ukraine one day.

"The war is a very difficult time that we never thought would happen to us and he thinks that there will be an end and he will be able to get back to his home city and start rebuilding the orphanage and houses.

"He's still positive about being able to go back," she added.