Boy, 11, Reunites With Family After Fleeing Ukraine Alone On 700-Mile Train Ride

As Insider reported, this was because that city hosts the largest power plant in Europe, which made it a target for Russian forces.

Although it was clear to her that this made the city unsafe, she said in a Facebook post translated by The Guardian that her mother wouldn't be able to flee due to a disability.

And since she didn't feel she could leave her behind, she instead decided to give her 11-year-old son a chance at safety.

Harder still for the child was the fact that he would have to make the trip with only his passport, the contents of a simple plastic bag, and a phone number that Pisetskaya had written on his hand.

As authorities in Slovakia would later discover, this number would serve as the key reuniting the boy with his relatives in the host nation's capital of Bratislava.

According to a Facebook statement from Slovakia's interior ministry, they immediately made sure the boy was warm, well-fed and hydrated before using the phone number on his hand and a piece of paper at his waist to track down his relatives.

As the nation's Interior Minister Roman Mikulec said, "Little Hassan is only 11 years old, but in his way, he has shown huge determination, courage, and fearlessness that sometimes adults don't have."

In a video message, Pisetskaya has since expressed her relief and gratitude, saying, "I am very grateful that they saved the life of my child. In your small country, there are people with big hearts." 

h/t: Insider