Ukraine: Wishaw teacher flees Russia after police ‘intimidation’

The 30-year-old was stopped in the street up to three times a day and even pulled out of a taxi by Russian police demanding to examine her bag and passport.

Melissa is back in Scotland

She told our sister title, the Glasgow Times, they were constantly doing spot checks to ensure no one was carrying any anti-war items that may support Ukraine.

Melissa had to beg friends and family at home not to message her about the war out of fear she could be arrested for discussing the conflict.

The teacher decided to come home to relieve her family's anxiety as they feared for her wellbeing.

It comes after Russia clamped down on any protests or talks about the on-going feud that has killed more than 650 people.

Melissa was forced to leave behind her flat and most of her clothes and items due to high prices to ship luggage home.

She said: “At first I thought it wouldn’t affect me, I didn’t realise it would escalate the way it did.

“The rules started to change so we weren’t even allowed to talk about it. I was randomly stopped all the time in the street and was pulled out of a taxi for checks.

“They went through my bags and looked at my passport, it’s always intimidating when they stop you.

“I had to ask everyone at home to stop sending me messages or talking to me about the situation because I was worried I would be arrested.

“My parents wanted me back so I booked my flights a week before the embassy told all British people to return.

“If I had waited any longer the flights would have been too expensive and it would have been harder to leave.

Melissa was working in Moscow

“I feel lucky because some of my friends couldn’t get flights out and others had theirs cancelled.

“Trying to bring all my things back wasn’t possible. It was too expensive to ship all my clothes and items, I had to just pick my very favourites out then cut my losses.”

The Ukraine invasion is the biggest attack on a European state since 1945 and has caused over 870,000 people to flee, a barrage of sanctions against Russia, and stoked fears of wider conflict in the West unthought-of for decades.

Melissa, who was in Moscow for six months while teaching young children, now worries for friends she left behind and other Russians who are unable to speak up.

She explained how some people aren’t aware of the extent of the situation while others fear legal punishment if they stand up to authority figures.

Despite the experience, the globe trotting educator hopes to return to the city as Russian people were ‘very nice people’.

Melissa said: “I’m worried about some of the friends I made there including a 21-year-old who may have to go to the army.

“I made good friends and I wouldn't rule out going back at all, my work was great and Moscow has very nice people.

“I am worried about some of my friends including a 21-year-old who may need to go to the army.

“That makes me sad because he is just so young and I want him to be okay.

“It is so easy for us to say go protest if you don’t like it, but these people may lose their job and everything with it.

“You could go to jail for standing up for what you think, when you have your own responsibilities you can’t risk it.

“Some people don’t know the full extent of what is going on but others do and their hands are tied.”

It comes as thousands of refugees from Ukraine are set to arrive in Scotland as Nicola Sturgeon announced £15million pounds of funding to assist the effort.

The First Minister said that the Scottish Government was preparing for 3000 initially, as soon as this weekend but that more would be expected.

She said the government was backing a super sponsor scheme to bring people to Scotland but that the numbers and timescales were dependent on the UK Government which is in charge issuing visas that would allow refugees to come here.