Hero: 11-year old travels alone to Slovakia amid Ukraine crisis

Amid pictures of families for safety and men joining the army surface from Ukraine, the Slovakian Ministry of Interior has hailed an 11-year old kid, Hasan, as a “Hero” for travelling 1126.54 km alone to Slovakia from Zaporizhzhia, carrying only his passport, a backpack, a letter and a phone number scribbled on his hand.

After the Ministry shared Hasan’s photos on Facebook, comments poured him hailing him “worthy to be a true hero”, while also lamenting what has become of Ukraine. A few of the comments read, “Breaks my heart to see families torn apart by this senseless war. You are such a brave boy!” “Ugh, This makes me sick. So heartbreaking.”

Hasan’s mother Yulia Pisetskaya has clarified in another video that after Russian troops started shooting at the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, she sent her son alone to Slovakia via train, as she couldn’t “leave her mother because she can’t walk on her own”.

Slovakian volunteers and authorities received Hasan at the border and provided him with food, and helped him connect with his relatives in Bratislava, Slovakia, who later took him home.