EXCLUSIVE ‘My country needs peace and so do I’: Ukrainian refugee dumped by her British lover after he left his partner for her says she is ‘happy to be home’ as she arrives back in war-torn country
- Ukranian refugee Sofiia Karkadym has returned to her war-torn home
- She was dumped by her British lover Security guard Tony Garnett, 30
- She was hopeful Mr Garnett would want to rekindle their romance until then
The Ukrainian refugee dumped by her British lover after he left his partner and two children for her has arrived back in the war-torn country.
Sofiia Karkadym, 22, still tearful after her break-up with security guard Tony Garnett, has been reduced to tears again after she witnessed the funeral of a Ukrainian soldier killed by Russian troops as she travelled home by bus.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline from her home in Kolomyia, south of Lviv, she said: ‘My country needs peace and so do I.’
The 22-year-old who began an affair with British father-of-two Tony 10 days after moving into his home with his two children and partner, was greeted by her elderly grandmother in Western Ukraine after a 24-hour journey by car, plane, bus and train which began in Bradford on Monday.
Strolling through the streets of her hometown, close to the Prut River, she added: ‘I am happy to be home. I miss Tony a lot, but I don’t want to cry over Tony anymore.
‘I feel as comfortable as I can be while the Russians are in my country. . . I felt better when I got to Ukraine and able to speak my own language.
Sofiia Karkadym, 22, is back in Ukraine after her romance with Tony faltered and she went back
Sofiia Karkadym, 22, stands alone on the corner of a road after returning to Ukraine today
Goodbye: Sofiia Karkadym, 22, (left) still tearful after her break-up with security guard Tony Garnett (right), boarded a plane home from Manchester Airport on Monday
In the early stages of their fling, the pair were blissfully happy and even talked about marriage and spending the rest of their lives together. But the romance turned cold after a series of arguments which he said were caused by her drinking strong beer and throwing temper tantrums. Mr Garnett is pictured at the airport on Monday
‘But I was scared when I arrived in Lviv because an alarm went off at the train station. And people thought there maybe some sort of attack by the Russians.
‘I can feel that my country is in depression because of the war and everything that is going on globally.
‘When I was on the bus I saw the funeral of a soldier. I began to cry again when I saw that. It really brought it back to me of what is going on here. Ukrainians are being murdered and our soldiers are being as brave as any.
‘My grandmother, who is an artist, cooked for me my favourite buckwheat and meat chops and has given me so much love.’
She said she would be spending a week with her grandmother before travelling to Kyiv to meet her mother and sister.
But she added : ‘People are saying here that Russia is soon going to attack government buildings in Kyiv and my grandmother is scared about my trip to Kyiv and saying that I should call my mother here instead.
The now ex-lovers struck up an affair 10 days after she arrived at the home of Mr Garnett (left) and his partner Lorna Garnett (right). Ms Karkadym had fled the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Ms Karkadym admitted that she found the fact difficult that Mr Garnett could not have more children (he has had a vasectomy) and that he already had two kids with his ex-partner, who he regularly talked fondly about. The former couple are pictured together
‘The situation here is not positive. People who say that half of Ukraine is safe, have no real idea about that and cannot be sure. It is dangerous and uncertainty is everywhere.’
Sofiia and Tony went through an acrimonious break-up after a four-month relationship.
Sofiia was arrested twice at the rented house they shared in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
On the first occasion she was detained after Mr Garnett alleged she had rammed a knife into a kitchen wall while drunk. She was held a second time after turning up at his address again despite police warnings to keep away.
But after Tony, 30, told police he did not want to see her charged, she was released.
She said she and her ex-boyfriend are on better terms and she hoped they could renew their relationship when she returns to the UK.
‘I love him and I am happy that everything has calmed down and we are talking again
‘He is a very nice man. If he didn’t care for me, then he would not have taken me to the airport and made sure that I got on the plane safely.
‘Relationships are very hard work. It’s not just about showing your friends how handsome your boyfriend is.
‘There was a lot going on behind what people saw. We were going through public judgements and pressures, some manipulation from his ex partner and he wasn’t allowed to see or call his children for three months.’
Sofiia, who said she had her jaw broken by a previous boyfriend in Ukraine, claimed that memory combined with the horror of seeing her country invaded together badly affected her.
‘I had some symptoms of PTSD after everything what happened in my past. It was also hard for me to get used to a different country and language.’
Sofiia, who has a BSC degree in computer science, added : ‘All of this caused arguments between us over the last month. I think now that Tony and I have the time and space to think about everything maybe we can understand how important we were for each other just when we lost it.’
Tony told MailOnline today at his home in Bradford: ‘ I don’t really want to say anything more about Sofiia. I can tell you I’m glad that Sophia is safe back in Ukraine. We are still mates. And it will be good to see her again if and when she comes back.’
Source: Read Full Article