Mayo man confirms his Ukrainian wife is safely out of war-torn region

A Mayo historian and actor has tonight confirmed that his wife Kate is out of Ukraine and will be home soon.

Liam Alex Heffron, Moygownagh, Ballina, made the statement on his Facebook page.

It follows reports in the national media about his wife's situation.

He stated: "Thanks for all the kind enquiries - Kate is out of Ukraine and will be home soon.

"We wait and watch for what happens next for her Dad and her friends.

"Truly a very tragic, maddening and heart breaking day for those Ukrainians who will suffer for the hubris of a tyrant and his fellow travellers."

RTÉ News reported that Kate Holtvianska, who had been visiting her father in Ukraine, managed to travel to Istanbul and how Liam had booked her a flight to Amsterdam where he will meet her in the coming days.

The couple hope to be back in Mayo before the end of next week.

He's relieved his wife is out of danger but said her father, 71-year-old Volodymyr Holtvianska, remains at home in the city of Poltava, northeast of Ukraine. Kate is an only child and her mother died when she was 16.

He told RTÉ News: "My wife has been staying with her father for a number of months and is deeply concerned for his welfare. But he's elderly and says that this is his home and he's not leaving. However he insisted that Kate leave the country for her own safety.

"We are so worried about him because he is a diabetic and only has a week's supply of medication," he added.