Stranded in Ukraine with Covid-infected son, Australian mum talks of her fears
- Nataliya Poshyvaylo-Towler was ready to return to Australia, but was stranded in Ukraine after her son tested positive for COVID-19
- Australian authorities have urged citizens to immediately leave Ukraine over fears of a potential Russian invasion
Nataliya Poshyvaylo-Towler, an Australian mother-of-two of Ukrainian descent, found out her son had tested positive for Covid-19 at the worst possible moment.
Last week, they were preparing to fly from Ukraine to Melbourne, where they live, after receiving an advisory from Australian authorities that citizens should immediately leave Ukraine over fears a Russian invasion could be imminent.
To board a plane back, Nataliya needed to complete a declaration form and show a negative Covid-19 test.
“I’m looking at the email with results and there’s an email coming from DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) – ‘evacuate now’. And the result is positive,” Nataliya recalled.
“My legs started shaking, I didn’t know what to do,” she said.
Australia, New Zealand ask citizens in Ukraine to leave immediately
Nataliya and her son Michael had to miss the February 9 flight and remain in Poltava, a town 300 kilometres to the southeast of capital Kiev. They stayed with Nataliya’s parents, who they had been visiting for Orthodox Christmas.
Russia denies planning to invade its neighbour. This week it said it was pulling back some of the more than 100,000 troops it had massed near the frontier and on Thursday it said some had returned to base. Nato says Russia is not withdrawing, but appears to be sending in more forces.
My son is asking ‘Mum, why were you looking at these bomb shelters?’ That was hard
Nataliya’s fears rose when some media reported an invasion could begin on February 16. She looked for bomb shelters on a map of her hometown.
“My son is asking ‘Mum, why were you looking at these bomb shelters?’ That was hard,” she said.
Nataliya said that she didn’t expect the Australian government to bend the rules for her and her family, however. “Probably designing those rules, they didn’t think about situations like mine, you know, the possible war conflict.”
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‘We’re scared’: fear and uncertainty on Ukraine’s front lines
Nataliya and her son are now booked on a flight back for Sunday. She is looking forward to reuniting with her family in Melbourne, but still fears for Ukraine, where she was born.
“So hopefully … I can fly, and be back home, dreaming of coming back to Ukraine. Because I love my country, and I stand with her.
“Covid is not that bad compared with other problems [that] can happen with your country,” she said.
