Heartwarming videos show the moments a father who has been fighting in the war between Russia and Ukraine is reunited with his son and daughter.
Viktor Trynoha, from Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, came back to his three-year-old daughter Yaryna and his six-year-old son Makarii following 13 months of fighting on the frontline.
In tear-jerking footage recorded by his wife Viktoriia, Viktor is seen surprising Yaryna at home with his return, before heading to Makarii’s school at pick-up time.
The children break down in tears as they see their father for the first time in more than a year, after he volunteered to help the war efforts three days after Russia invaded Ukraine in March 2022.
The video comes as the head of the Ukrainian intelligence service has claimed Russia has all but abandoned efforts to take more territory and is now focusing on defending its positions in preparation for a brutal counteroffensive by Ukraine.
After the emotional footage was recorded, Viktor revealed he didn’t tell any members of his family he was returning home, so they were all surprised to see him.
The first shot in the video shows Viktor waiting at the door to say hello to three-year-old Yaryna, who walks out to him.
As the toddler, who has her hair in pigtails, sees her father for the first time in 13 months, she pauses in bewilderment before bursting into tears.
She then throws her arms around her father while sobbing as he bends down to embrace her.
Viktor speaks softly to her in their native language before kissing her on the cheek and presenting her with a box containing a toy he has bought for her.
An emotional video shows Viktor Trynoha, from Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, reunited with his daughter Yaryna (left) and son Makarii (right) following 13 months away from home
Yaryna’s face lights up as she takes the toy, but her face is still wet with tears.
In the next shot, Viktor walks hand-in-hand through the snow with Yaryna, who is dressed in a bright pink coat, to pick Makarii up from school.
In his free hand, he proudly carries Yaryna’s baby pink handbag.
The next clip shows Makarii, who has just finished school for the day, running out of the door and down the steps to greet his father after setting eyes on him for the first time since March 2022.
The six-year-old also breaks down in tears as he hugs his father, who picks him up and cuddles him.
Footage recorded by Viktor’s wife Viktoriia shows the father, dressed in camouflage, surprising thee-year-old Yaryna at home
In another emotional clip, Viktor is reunited with his six-year-old son Makarii (pictured) at pick-up time from school
The father-of-two went to war in March 2022 as a volunteer, three days after Russia first invaded Ukraine
At the beginning of the clip, a bemused Yaryna stares in silence at her father when he greets her at the door
Little Makarii is presented with a gift from his father following 13 months apart – a brand new football
One clip shows Viktor walking hand-in-hand with his daughter Yaryna through the snow to collect Makarii from school
An emotional reunion: Yaryna cannot stop cuddling her father Viktor following his surprise return from war
Makarii, six (pictured with his father) is filmed running from the school building and down the steps to greet Viktor
A family reunited: The Trynoha family are finally back together following more than a year apart due to the conflict
Makarii sobs into his father’s coat before Viktor kisses the little boy while hugging him tightly.
Viktor then presents his son with a gift just as he did for Yaryna – a brand new football.
After the clips were recorded, Viktor said: ‘I have been involved in the war for 13 months and did not tell my family I was returning so that it was a surprise for them.
‘Makarii and Yaryna were so emotional when they greeted me and were in extreme shock that their daddy had returned and was back with them.
‘My wife, parents and friends were also very emotional when they saw me.
‘It’s a pity that we have to sacrifice all that we have – and even our lives – for the liberation of our country.’
The emotional video comes as Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate, said Vladimir Putin’s forces were channeling almost all of their offensive operations into trying to capture the bitterly-contested city of Bakhmut.
Decorated Major General Budanov, 37, did not reveal details about Ukrainian battle plans, but promised that a highly-anticipated counterattack would be a ‘landmark battle in Ukraine ‘s history’.
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