Victoria man in Ukraine fears city he travelled to will soon be bombed
From a small apartment in an undisclosed neighbourhood of Lviv, Ukraine, Mark Preston-Horin recounts the moment he entered into the war-torn nation.
"I remember when I crossed the border into Ukraine," said Preston-Horin, of Victoria, B.C.
"There was literally four or five thousand people in a queue to get out. I was the only one walking in," he said.
The Vancouver Island man with deep family ties to Ukraine left Canada on March 5.
Medical expertise made Preston-Horin think he would be in high demand in Ukraine, but on the ground and amid the chaos of war his assumptions have been proven wrong.
"It's tough to be here and knowing my hands are tied. It's really, really tough," he told CTV News Vancouver Island on Friday.
Since he arrived in Lviv, he has been trying to help in anyway he can, but he says because he is not a Ukrainian national his attempts are being thwarted.
"If you want to join the army you need to sign into the legion. If you sign into the legion you sign a contract with no closed date. You can't leave until they tell you," said Preston-Horin.
Unwilling to be held in Ukraine by a military contract, he turned to hospitals to aid the Ukrainian people.
Hospitals have also told him that because he isn’t a national he isn’t needed. Now, Preston-Horin has turned to government-backed volunteer forces outside the military sphere.
He says he is giving one group any support he can, but would not go into detail about the groups supported by the Ukrainian military.
Mark Preston-Horin, of Victoria, is pictured in Ukraine over Zoom. March 11, 2022 (CTV News)
Lviv is a small city in western Ukrainian, not far from the border to Poland.
Mark chose the location because it was a bastion for refugees needing help, and that it was expected to be spared from the horrors of war.
His expectations are now proving to be wrong.
"We are expecting to have some bombs and missiles in the next few days," he said on a Zoom call Friday.
As Russian forces amp up attacks and begin to target military airfields in western Ukraine, Mark says he is faced with a choice he never wanted to make.
"It's going to get to the point where it's pick up a gun or head to the border," said Preston-Horin.
"I'm not looking forward to that decision."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Canadian couple among tourists on sinking sailing boat tour abroad
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their “extremely dangerous” experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Accused of burglary at stepmother's home, U.S. senator says she wanted her father's ashes: charges
A Minnesota state senator and former broadcast meteorologist told police that she broke into her stepmother's home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her late father, including his ashes, according to burglary charges filed Tuesday.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.