Ukrainian family living terrified under fire in bunker while they have Scots home waiting

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A businessman who has helped channel the flow of Ukrainian refugees to a Scottish town has blasted the UK Government for callously putting lives at risk.

David Louden has so far helped bring 11 families to Dollar in Clackmannanshire but has come up against needless blockages that have derailed the escape channel for several families.

He is furious at the unexplained delay for two sisters desperate to flee with their four children from their home city of Sumy, which is under constant Russian attack.Instead of living in Dollar and salvaging some kind of life, Anna Puhach – a qualified accountant who was working as a geography teacher – and sons Ivan, 16, and Mykhailo, 14, are facing the daily risk of Russian barrage.Anna’s family stayed in the basement of their home for 38 consecutive days after the early bombing, while husband Yuriy, a scientist and entrepreneur, volunteered with the military.They have been forced to take cover on many occasions since then.Anna’s sons have all been given permission to fly to Dollar by the UK Government, as have her sister, Anastasiia Movchan, her son Pavlo and daughter Iryna, both 13.Their father Andriy is also involved in the war effort.But all six are still in Sumy, six weeks after their applications were submitted.

Anna, 38, has been told her own application is “on hold” but has been given no further reason.David, who hosts a Ukrainian mum and daughter in his own home, said: “The Home Office has told us nothing about the reasons for the delay in Anna’s case – merely that it is ‘on hold’.“They have said they are awaiting certain information yet they won’t tell us – or the families – what the information is.“This is utterly inhumane, as she has given them everything they asked for,