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UKRAINE

How Spain is offering ‘children of Chernobyl’ refuge from Ukraine war

Following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, thousands of Ukrainian youths have spent summer holidays with Spanish families. Now, these host families are helping to provide a safe haven from the war in Ukraine to the so-called "children of Chernobyl" and their parents.

How Spain is offering 'children of Chernobyl' refuge from Ukraine war
Ukrainian refugee Victoria Bielova, 18 years old, poses with her 9-month daughter Vladyslava, in Algeciras, southern Spain. Photo: Jorge Guerrero/AFP

When Igor Pavlosky decided to flee Ukraine with his youngest children after bombs began falling, his destination was clear – Spain.

Like thousands of other Ukrainian youths, several of his daughters had spent yearly holidays with host families in Spain since the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Now these host families are helping to provide a safe haven from the war in Ukraine for these so-called “children of Chernobyl” and their parents.

Pavlosky, 46, says he only reluctantly took up the offer of help and left Kyiv at the end of February because he “had to protect” his children.

He piled into his car with his four youngest and drove across Europe to Gijon, northern Spain, where his daughters had spent holidays every summer.

“It was very trying, I will remember it my entire life,” he says of the days-long road trip.

The Pavlosky family make a video call with their son Xenia, in Gijón, northern Spain. (Photo by MIGUEL RIOPA / AFP)

One of the daughters, Anastasia, was already in Gijón, having moved there three years ago. So was his wife Olena and another daughter who were visiting Anastasia when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

Pavlosky left behind his oldest son Xenia, 26, who was banned from leaving Ukraine, as well as two other daughters — Ana and Stanislava — who decided to stay with their boyfriends.

‘Strong relationship’

His daughter Massa, 17, says she dreams of a Ukraine where she can “walk in the streets without bombs raining down, without being afraid of dying.”

Her older sister Dasha, 19, says Russian soldiers “came and took over our homes, the places where we played with our friends”.

It has been easier for her and her siblings to adapt than her parents because they already spoke Spanish, she adds.

“We came on holidays here, we already imagined ourselves living here. Mom and dad don’t want to live here,” she says.

Massa notes that before the war started she could talk and play with her dad, “But now he doesn’t say what he feels anymore.”

After the explosion at the Chernobyl power plant, dozens of charities in Spain began staging yearly respite holidays for Ukrainian youths to give them a break from the lingering effects of the world’s worst nuclear accident.

“There is a very strong relationship with the Ukrainians,” says Jorge González, the head of the Expoacción charity which runs a homestay programme for Ukrainian children and who hosted Stanislava at his home for years.

He says he loves Stanislava as much as if she was his daughter and urged the Pavloskys to come to Gijón as soon as the war broke out.

The Pavlosky family play volleyball at the Poniente beach in Gijón, northern Spain. (Photo by MIGUEL RIOPA / AFP)

‘Welcome here’

Expoacción has provided clothes and food the Pavlosky family, who are living in a flat that has been temporarily lent to them.

Igor has found a job as a construction worker and the children are all in school.

Olena’s face brightens and Igor gives a rare smile when they realise their son Xenia is calling from back home.

The entire family gathers behind the small screen to catch a glimpse of him. They blow kisses at each other and flash V for “victory” signs.

“Sometimes you wake up and you want to believe this was all a nightmare,” says Olena.

Some 134,000 Ukrainians have moved to Spain since Russia’s invasion, according to Spanish government figures, part of an exodus of nearly six million people.

In the southern port of Algeciras, Victoria Bielova, 18, is showing her nine-month-old daughter how to clap. They fled to the city from Ukraine a few weeks ago.

Bielova had been coming to Spain every year since she was six and she said she received messages from every host family in the country as soon as bombs began raining down on Ukraine.

“They said ‘you are welcome here, come’,” she says.

Ukrainian refugee Victoria Bielova, 18 years old, holds her 9-month daughter Vladyslava in the living room of her host family. (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO / AFP)

‘Wait until war ends’

She hesitated at first but set off on March 15th with her daughter, leaving behind her husband.

After travelling by bus for three days she settled in with the couple who hosted her during her last homestay in Spain, Francisco Pérez and Cecilia Valencia.

They set up a guest room for her and her daughter with nappies, a crib and toys and invited her to stay “as long as the war lasts”, says Bielova.

Her sister is staying with a former holiday host family in Algeciras as well while her cousins are in Seville.

Bielova calls her husband Andry two or three times a day. She says she tries “not to think too much” about the war because her daughter “understands everything”.

She says she plans to return to Kyiv later this month if it is calm there, following in the footsteps of her sister-in-law and her nephew who have already returned to Ukraine from Spain.

But Pérez, who takes Victoria and her daughter to the park every day, would like them to stay.

“I tell her to wait a little longer until the war ends,” he says.

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UKRAINE

‘Very high’: Spain’s govt split over €1 billion in Ukraine military aid

A split in Spain's coalition government over Madrid's pledge to provide €1 billion in military aid to Ukraine broke out on Tuesday after a far-left cabinet minister described the amount as "very high".

'Very high': Spain's govt split over €1 billion in Ukraine military aid

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez signed a security deal with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday in Madrid which includes a commitment to provide military support to Kyiv worth €1 billion this year.

The Spanish prime minister said this would allow “Ukraine to boost its capabilities including its essential air defence systems to protect its civilians, cities and infrastructure”.

But Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz – the leader of far-left party Sumar, the junior partners in Sanchez’s coalition government – criticised the amount.

“These are very high sums,” she told Spanish public television TVE, accusing Sánchez’s Socialist party of a “lack of transparency”.

“We learned yesterday from the press that this billion euros was intended for arms for Ukraine,” added Díaz, one of three deputy prime ministers.

“Defence policy is very important for the country, and the people have a right to a public debate.”

The aid package was approved by Spain’s parliament but without specifying who the recipient would be, according to Spanish press reports.

Sánchez’s Socialists and Sumar have clashed frequently over foreign policy since they formed their coalition government in 2020, with the far left party highly critical of arms shipments to Ukraine.

According to the Kiel Institute — which tracks weapons pledged and delivered to Ukraine since the Russian invasion — Spain has so far committed €330 million in military aid, making it a small contributor on a European level.

By comparison, Berlin, Paris and Rome have committed €18.61 billion, €5.65 billion and €1.0 billion respectively, while London’s contribution stands at 9.22 billion, the figures show.

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