A mother killed alongside her nine-year-old daughter and teenage son as they attempted to flee Russian shelling during a “ceasefire” has been pictured for the first time.
Tatyana Perebeynos, 43, and her children were among Ukrainian civilians trying to leave Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, along an evacuation corridor when artillery began raining down on them.
The IT worker, her young daughter Alise and 18-year-old son Nikita are believed to be the people pictured lying dead on a roadside surrounded by their belongings on Sunday.
The widely-circulated but distressing image shows Ukrainian soldiers attempting to help them as a silver suitcase and green pet carrier sit close by.
Sergey Perebeynos shared pictures of his wife and two children as he paid tribute in an emotional Facebook post, writing: “Forgive me, I didn’t cover you.”
He revealed the family’s two pet dogs had also died following the shelling.
“He took them all,” he wrote. “Tanya couldn't make it. What is this all for? What’s next?
“I’m on my way, I must see you one last time.”
Mr Perebeynos revealed the young family fled separatist forces in his wife’s hometown of Donetsk in 2014, moving first to Kyiv before settling in Irpin four years ago.
Ms Perebeynos was forced to flee her home in terror again on Sunday as she sought refuge from Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The family had reportedly been unable to leave sooner because she had been caring for her sick mother.
They were attempting to evacuate with the help of a male friend when they were hit by Russian shelling in an exposed street despite it being an evacuation route and humanitarian corridor.
Ms Perebeynos was said to be “adored” by her colleagues at SE Ranking, a small IT start-up where she worked as chief accountant.
One colleague, Elena Karpova, said she “made people smile whenever she spoke”, adding: “Bright, witty, determined. She was like a big sister to our whole team… we will never forget and never forgive.”
Another told The Telegraph: “You could always come to her with the most stupid questions about taxes, international payments, or anything else.
“She always patiently answered, laying all the options out on the table.”
Paying tribute in a statement, SE Ranking it had been left “devastated” by her death.
“There are no words to describe our grief or to mend our pain. But for us, it is crucial to not let Tania and her kids Alise and Nikita remain just statistics,” the company said in a statement.
“Her family became the victim of the unprovoked fire on civilians, which under any law is a crime against humanity.
“The Russian army are criminals, and they should be stopped.
“Our hearts are broken. Our prayers are for all Ukrainians, who are fighting for their right to exist.”
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