Heartwarming pictures 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 scene 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.
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.
