Brighton man to return to Kyiv after fleeing Russian war

Brighton-born Dan Baker is returning to the Ukrainian capital with his wife Victoria after hearing that their apartment was damaged in an explosion caused by a Russian attack two weeks ago.

The couple flew to Warsaw in neighbouring Poland and are set to take two trains to reach Kyiv so they can sort out important documents and paperwork relating to the incident, as well as to see the damage for themselves.

Dan said: “The explosion damaged the outer shell of the apartment building, so we need to assess the situation.

“Our minds have been in a different place for the last two weeks. It was my birthday during that time as well - I’ve only just got around to saying thank you to people who wished me well.

“Everything got put on hiatus.”

Dan and Victoria, along with stepdaughter Veronica and cat Pumpkin, fled Ukraine in March after enduring two weeks of air raids as the Russians attempted to encircle Kyiv at the start of the war.

Dan Baker with wife Victoria, stepdaughter Veronica and cat Pumpkin (Image: Dan Baker)

Dan said that since returning to Brighton in May after some travelling, the family have been able to return to a somewhat normal life in a new home in Woodingdean.

He said that Ukrainian winters had prepared them for the recent snow the city has seen, being able to use their winter tyres to get around.

“It was absolutely fine for us - everyone else was sliding all over the place, while we were driving where we want to go,” he said.

Despite the continuing Russian threat, Dan said that he feels very excited to be returning to Kyiv for the first time, albeit for only a week-long trip.

He said: “I feel more energised the further east we go. I left my heart there, so it will feel like I’m becoming whole again.

“A lot of my family have been asking if everything is safe, but you can’t be sure anything is safe anywhere. The risk assessment has to be done and I feel confident.

“I’ve been in touch with people living there - the biggest threat is the rolling blackouts because of how cold it is now, but there is a schedule of them and we could stay all together to reserve heat.

“I feel like I want to be there at the moment. Kyiv is my home, I’m not scared of my home.”

Residential buildings in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv have been attacked in recent months by missile attack and kamikaze drones (Image: National Police of Ukraine)

Dan said he has felt immense pride seeing the Ukrainians make advances in Russian-occupied territory in recent months, in particular around Kherson and Kharkiv.

He said: “War is never a good thing, but it shows who the people in the right and the people in the wrong are by the way they defend themselves.

“If the Russians give up and stop fighting, like many have, they lose the war. If the Ukrainians stop fighting, they lose their whole history, so they have a lot more to fight for.”