An Edinburgh dad has told how he faces being stranded in Ukraine as the country moves to the brink of war with Russia while his wife and newborn son remain in hospital.
Ken Stewart, 54, is currently unable to leave the country after wife Tania gave birth to their second child, Douglas, by caesarean section on Monday.
Thousands of British citizens living in the country have already fled due to the threat of conflict after Russia began amassing troops on Ukraine’s borders.
READ MORE: Edinburgh man in Ukraine fears 'chaos' amid tension over potential Russia conflict
However, Tania and Douglas are still under the care of doctors in the medical facility just outside Kyiv, while Ken is stuck at home with daughter Yaryna, three.
He told the Sunday Mirror it could take up to two weeks for Douglas' birth certificate to be ratified, after which they should be able to return to Scotland.
But Ken admitted it was a tense wait with the overriding "imminent" threat of conflict with its nearest neighbour.
He said: “Our son Douglas was born on Monday and Tania is still recovering in hospital.
“Our plan was to leave but we are in a difficult situation since we do not yet have Douglas’ birth certificate.
“That can take one or two weeks here- and that’s without there being a war so who knows how long that will take?
“I am waiting until they come home and then I think we may leave and head west, where Tania has relatives.
“So I will stay here for a day or so and see what happens and then try and get away just to be safe. I am being practical. This is a bizarre situation.
“It’s strange because they have been telegraphing an invasion for such a long time. Who does that? I am keeping a close eye on the situation.”
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The United States became the latest country to evacuate its embassy due to fears over a potential Russian invasion.
American intelligence agencies reported that the Kremlin may order strikes on Ukraine's capital as early as Wednesday, the Mirror reports.
The Kremlin's top foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov has dismissed US warnings of an attack, saying "hysteria has reached its peak".
Junior defence minister James Heappey said: “British nationals should leave Ukraine immediately by any means possible and they should not expect, as they saw in the summer with Afghanistan, that there would be any possibility of a military evacuation.”
