Blackpool dad worried about his daughters in Ukraine capital

Marek Polkowski, 47, a security worker who has lived in Blackpool for nine years, says his two eldest daughters are living in a five-storey apartment block which has already been damaged by shelling as the the city is surrounded by the invading Russian army.

Students Sonia, 19, and Bogdana, 21, want to escape to safety in Poland.

But the Polish border is around 500 miles away from Kyiv, which is to the north east of Ukraine.

Marek was previously married to the girls’ Ukrainian mum Anna, who has managed to reach Poland with youngest daughter Julia, 16, and he lived in Ukraine with the family when the girls were young.

He hopes that a so-called ‘green corridor’ can be established officially, allowing refugees to escape without being attacked.

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He said: “I’m just a normal person, I can do nothing to help them and all I can do is watch and I try and keep in touch by Facebook and tell them to stay safe.

"It is worrying for me, really difficult, with everything that is going on, the situation changes every day.

"Already the building where they live has been damaged by Russian shells and they are really scared – they hear explosions all the time.

"There have been days of curfew to keep people off the streets at night.

"Their hope is get a train west and then onto Poland, hopefully with ‘green corridor’ to keep them safe from attacks.

"But the people trying to leave have even been shelled by the Russians so even they are not safe.

"They have to get out, out of Kyiv and out of Ukraine, but at the moment they are stuck.

"As their father, I am so worried about them all the time.

"One of my friends tried to leave Kiev but the Russians started shooting so he had to go back.”

Marek said his daughters told that the shops were running out of food.

He says Russian president Vladimir Putin is unpredictable, which makes the situation in the whole of Eastern Europe worrying.

Marek originally came to Blackpool to track down the grave of uncle, Zygmunt Widczak, an airman who was based in Britain during the Second World War.

He eventually found Zygmunt’s grave in Layton Cemetery, where he was laid to rest after being he died aged just 28, in 1945.

Marek decided to stay in Blackpool and has made the resort his home, working as a club doorman in recent years, in bars such as Ma Kellys, and as security in hotels.

He said: “I like it here in Blackpool, which is why I stayed.

"I wasn’t worried about my daughters living in Ukraine at first, it seemed safe.

"But the war in the east started and now the Russians are there.

"I see on the news how many people are leaving and I just wish my two girls could be with them.

"I still have hope they can get out.”

With the conflict almost two weeks in, the refugee migration out of Ukraine is already the fastest-ever since the Second World War.

By yesterday (Sunday March 6), the number of Ukrainians fleeing the war to neighbouring countries had reached 1.5 million in 10 days, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The majority have fled to Poland, as well as Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and other European Union countries.

The UK has been criticised for only granting a mere 50 visas so far for Ukrainians trying to come to Britain, with Home Secretary Priti Patel at the centre of a storm over the slow response.

But Marek believes not too many Ukrainians would want to go so far from their homeland

However, communities across the country, including Fylde coast areas such as Blackpool, Lytham and Fleetwood, have been actively trying to help by collecting essential items to be transported over to eastern Europe to benefit the refugees.

The Fylde Aid for Ukraine Appeal has has seen thousands of essential items and more than £6,500 donated to help the refugees displaced by war in their country.

Marek added: “All I want is the the world to put pressure on Russian to let the people who want to leave Ukraine go, to have a green corridor where they can travel safely and not be shelled.

"Until then, I have told my daughters to hide, to stay where they are and keep safe.

"It is all I can do.”