The heroic 11-year-old Ukrainian boy who traveled more than 600 miles on his own to escape Russia’s war has finally been reunited with his tearful mom.
“The impossible has become a reality,” said the national police force of Slovakia while sharing moving photos and video of Hassan Pisecka’s reunion.
The youngster became a powerful symbol of Ukrainian bravery when it emerged he’d fled alone to the border with just a phone number on his hand after his mom stayed behind to protect her own ailing mother.
But the threat of Russian bombing convinced the mother to at least try to escape, Slovakian police said, noting how they also traveled with their dog.
Map of Russian attacks in Ukraine as of Thursday, March 17, 2022.
Eleven-year-old Hassan Pisecka traveled 600 miles on his own from Ukraine to Slovakia to escape the Russian invasion. Facebook/Ministerstvo vnútra SR
Hassan Pisecka’s mother, Yulia, originally stayed behind to take care of her own ailing mother, but later became convinced she needed to flee as well. Facebook/Polícia Slovenskej rep
Hassan Pisecka was reunited with his mom after she left Ukraine with her ailing mother and her dog. Facebook/Polícia Slovenskej repThe video of the reunion showed mom Yulia wiping away tears as she waited to meet her son — giving him a huge hug, along with her five other children who were already safely in the neighboring nation.
“The train ride was very difficult … But we had to escape so our family could be back together,” Yulia told the Sun of her journey to Bratislava.
“I’d like to thank everyone from my heart. We have to start from scratch. We lost everything we’ve had but we’re healthy,” she said.
The emotions were even higher because it was the second time the family has had to escape a war — having only settled in Ukraine after Hassan’s father was killed in fighting in Syria, police revealed.
“They lost everything again, but this time the war didn’t take anyone away from them,” the police update said.
“They are together and that’s all that matters.”
Yulia was reunited in Slovakia with Hassan and her four other children. This is the second time the family has had to escape a war. Facebook/Polícia Slovenskej rep
Hassan Pisecka fled to Slovakia with only a phone number written on his hand. Facebook/Ministerstvo vnútra SR
Hassan Pisecka’s mother, Yulia, wiped away tears while she waited to be reunited with her son. Facebook/Polícia Slovenskej repThe family is among more than 3.1 million people who have fled Ukraine during three weeks of Russia’s war, with nearly 230,000 heading to Slovakia, according to UN data. The vast majority — more than 1.9 million — have gone to Poland, the data shows.
