A couple from Britain are enduring a “living nightmare” in Ukraine after they visited a surrogate mother who gave birth to twins whom they have been waiting 13 years for. The conflict in the Eastern European country has seen Manisha and Metaish Parmar stranded there with no immediate means of escape amid the ongoing Russia invasion.
They arrived in Ukraine three weeks ago after the mother gave birth, but they are now stuck there, with their newborns, and Mr Parmar’s parents. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Mrs Parmar said: “Things are not good, we can hear explosions going off. It’s traumatising, devastating.
“We’re worried, we don’t know what to do. We can’t go anywhere, we’re just stranded and stuck in Kyiv.”
While the family are safe in an apartment, every time air raid sirens go off they are forced to head for safety in a bomb shelter. She added: “We thought we would come here, see our newborns being born and have the best moments of our lives – 13 years we’ve been waiting for this moment.
“And now we’re just living this absolute nightmare and we just want to get out.”
To make matters worse, the British Embassy is insisting they drive 14 hours through a war zone to collect documents to leave. This is because what the foreign office said is a limited capability to help British nationals in the country.
Talking to Good Morning Britain on Monday, Mrs Parmar said: “In a situation like this, you’d think they’d understand right? And send the emergency travel document electronically in this crisis. But no.”
The British embassy has issued them emergency travel documents, but they are in the western city of Lviv, where they must be picked up. Mrs Parmar said: "The roads and trains are absolutely jammed, and with four adults and twins, it's impossible."
To make matters worse, there is a 20-litre limit of fuel per person, not enough for the eight-hour drive to Lviv, and no taxi will take them.
Her husband said: "We're pleading with the British Government and the UK embassy to help us get out of this place as soon as possible. Tensions are rising, things aren't looking good or sounding good where we are, around us.
“The environment is very stressful and we are obviously scared, we don't know what to expect right now."
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