At the Ukrainian border, a mother brought a stranger's kids to safety into Hungary

A Ukrainian woman hugged a stranger and thanked her for bringing her kids to safety across the border into Hungary. In a remarkable story of humanity, 58-year-old Nataliya Ableyeva was asked to take two kids across the border to their mother waiting at the other side of the border in Beregsurany, Hungary. Their father couldn't cross the border as per martial law that stops Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country as per the orders of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The 38-year-old father had no other go but to search for a trustworthy face in the crowd leaving the country and gamble with the safety of his kids. In the crowd, the man found Nataliya Ableyeva, a woman from his hometown, Kamianets-Podilskyi, and pleaded with her to help her children across the border where their mother Anna Semyuk, 33, was waiting, reported Reuters.  

The Ukrainian people have shown incredible resistance to fight back against Russia's invasion of their home country. People who have never held a weapon in their lives are picking them up to defend the country. As per martial law declared, women and children are allowed to leave the country and this has resulted in many families being broken apart. After border guards refused to let the 38-year-old man even accompany his children across the border, he handed them to Ableyeva, who didn't hesitate for a second. She knew too well the pain of separation, having just left behind two of her adult children. One of them is a nurse while the other is a policeman. The President has stated that both professions are crucial to the fight against the Russians, leaving them with no option but to stay and join the cause. 

The children's father wrapped them in thick jackets and hats before bidding them goodbye as he handed them to Ableyeva. "Their father simply handed over the two kids to me, and trusted me, giving me their passports to bring them over," said Ableyeva as the young boy clung to her with his arms around her neck. She crossed the border with the kids before waiting on the Hungarian side of the border, on a bench. 

The boy had started to cry when Semyuk called Ableyeva on the phone and told her she had almost reached. Semyuk had just flown in from Italy to help rescue her kids. She rushed to her son and hugged him tight before going to her daughter who was at the back of a car, wrapped in a pink blanket. She then hugged Ableyeva and pair broke into tears in an emotional moment.

Russians are currently holding talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Belarus but the attack continued through the day. Ukraine demanded an “immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops,” reported CNN. According to UN Refugee Agency, more than 500,000 refugees have fled Ukraine in the wake of the ongoing invasion. “UNHCR is working with partners and local authorities to provide humanitarian aid and support those in need,” said UNHCR. UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo called on neighboring countries to welcome refugees. European Union defense ministers are also mulling jointly financing and coordinating the delivery of defensive weapons to Ukraine, said EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell on Monday. 

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a developing story, and we’ll update as we learn more. Information is swiftly changing and Upworthy is committed to providing the most recent and verified updates in our articles and reportage. However, considering the frequency in developments, some of the information/data in this article may have changed since the time of publication.