A young Ukrainian boy forced to flee his war-torn homeland broke down in his mother’s arms during an emotional TV interview when a thunderstorm rolled in across Sydney, because the sound reminds him of missile strikes.
Angelina Samko, her husband and their three traumatised sons moved to Bondi Beach in April last year, two months after Russia‘s bloody invasion.
She sat down with Hamish McDonald on Sunday’s episode of The Project, to share her family’s harrowing journey out of Eastern Europe.
‘I still don’t feel good when there is a storm,’ Ms Samko said as Anton cries ‘Mummy’ off-camera.
‘And the kids are still very stressed about it… he’s afraid.’
McDonald tells the terrified boy that’s it’s okay to interrupt the interview and ‘give mummy a hug’.
Moments later she wraps her arms around Anton and assures him everything will be okay.
Ukrainian mother Angelina Samko hugs her distressed son Anton at their Sydney residence after the sounds of a thunderstorms reminded the boy of Russian missile strikes
Ms Samko was forced to leave her business as a cosmetic tattoo artist behind and say goodbye to her mother, who decided to stay in their besieged home.
‘She said, ‘I’m very happy if you leave but I just want to stay here. Just make sure that you are safe. It will be enough for me’.’
The family were only able to set off on their treacherous 3000km journey from Berdyans’k in the country’s east, through 18 Russian checkpoints to an Italian airport after a humanitarian corridor was opened for refugees.
‘At one checkpoint, I thought we were going to die,’ she Ms Samko revealed.
‘There was a bombing next to us and I was like so stressed and I was just praying. I have never prayed so much.’
With help from a friend Down Under, the family finally made it to Sydney and Ms Samko has even opened up a new cosmetic tattoo business in Woollahra.
She believes living next to the ocean is having a positive affect on the family’s recovery – particularly Anton.
The family had to drive through 18 Russian checkpoints in order to get to their destination in Italy
Ms Samko (pictured) revealed her family fled the war-torn country and travelled 3000km to Italy in order to fly to Australia
Ms Samko’s home town of Berdyans’k was captured by the Russian Army three days after the invasion (pictured, a Russian ship on fire at Berdyans’k port)
The war in Ukraine continues to rage on just days out from the one-year anniversary of the invasion (pictured, rescuers work at a site of a residential building destroyed by a Russian missile strike in Kramatorsk, Ukraine)
‘He goes surfing every day and for him, I’m so happy that he can go to the beach, be comfortable in the sea because the sea.
‘It brings you a bit more calm and you are feeling that you are going to be okay.’
But their new life in Australia is still fraught with pain.
Since arriving she has learned that her father was likely killed at the hands of Russian invaders.
‘I remember the days when we were in Bondi Beach, having a coffee and then, just in a few seconds, you can’t yourselves and realise you left everything,’ Ms Samko said.
The war continues to rage on just days out from the one-year anniversary of the invasion.
The family live next to the ocean, which Ms Samko believes is having a positive affect on their recovery
US Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday told the Munich Security Conference that support for Ukraine would ‘not waver’ as she vowed Russia would be held to account for its ‘crimes against humanity’.
‘The United States has formally determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity.
‘And I say to all those who have perpetrated these crimes, and to their superiors who are complicit in those crimes, you will be held to account.’
She added: ‘If Putin thinks he can wait us out, he is badly mistaken. Time is not on his side.’
