Heartwarming moment as schoolchildren shower their new classmate, a Ukrainian refugee, with hugs

A moving video showed a group of Spanish school kids welcoming their new Ukrainian classmate with hugs on the first day of class. The child had just arrived at the school as a refugee when he was showered with affection from the local schoolchildren. The heartwarming video was shot in CEIP Perú school in the Spanish capital Madrid and has gone viral online. The video was shared by Ukrainian diplomat Olexander Shcherba, who was Ukraine's ambassador to Austria until 2021, reported The Daily Mail. The unidentified boy reportedly escaped Ukraine in the wake of the attacks by Russia and sought refuge in Spain. The boy arrived along with his mother and 3-month-old sister. The family had relatives in Spain, which led to them seeking refuge in Madrid. The boy's father had to stay back in Ukraine to fight Russian invaders as per the country's martial law rules announced by President Zelenskyy.

The video shows the school teacher announcing to the kids that the boy, who hailed from Ukraine, was joining their class. Aware that he had escaped the war, his classmates gathered around him to welcome him and gave him hugs. The boy appeared overcome with emotion as his new classmates hugged him. One student even returned to hug him a second time. He eventually breaks into a smile. His uncle reportedly said the boy is yet to learn Spanish but has already made new friends and is playing with his new classmates.

Russia's attack on Ukraine has seen at least 10 million civilians displaced from their homes, said U.N. refugee agency chief Filippo Grandi, reported CBS News. Grandi noted that 3.5 million of them have sought refuge in neighboring countries. "Among the responsibilities of those who wage war, everywhere in the world, is the suffering inflicted on civilians who are forced to flee their homes," said Grandi, the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Refugees. "The war in Ukraine is so devastating that 10 million have fled — either displaced inside the country, or as refugees abroad." Poland has the highest intake of Ukrainian refugees with the U.N. refugee agency estimating the country has welcomed more than 2 million Ukrainian refugees.

One Spanish town—Guissona—has welcomed many Ukrainians over the past on account of its past ties with the country. The town drew a lot of immigrant labor over the past two decades and so many of them were from Ukraine that Guissona is nicknamed “Little Ukraine,” reported ABC News. Even before refugees started arriving, one in seven residents of the town were from Ukraine. Some of the Ukraine people arriving in Guissona have relatives and stay with them. The local people, thanks to the community built along with Ukrainians have sympathy for refugees and help them in ways they can. 

Many families are seeing children rejoin schools in a completely different environment, and in some cases without even knowing the language. Local schools and children have been very welcoming of Ukraine refugees joining their schools. Earlier this month, another heartwarming video showed the whole school waiting at the entrance to welcome two children who had fled Ukraine. The incident happened at Don Milani institute in Naples, where more than 200 students and teachers gathered at the front entrance of the institute to greet the two children aged ten and eight. Kids could be seen waving the yellow and blue Ukrainian national flag and clapping to welcome the siblings, reported Joe.

Russia's attack on 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.