British roofer turned fighter attacked on first night in Ukrainian military base wants to go back
A British roofer turned fighter told ITV News of his terrifying first night in a military base in Ukraine, having left behind his two children and family.
Report by ITV News Correspondent Peter Smith in Poland, words by Producer Cat Reid.
A British man has recalled the moment he ran for his life when Russian missiles struck a military base in Ukraine.
Matthew Longland, 37, told ITV News there was no warning ahead of the attack at the Yavoriv International Centre for Peacekeeping and Security on Sunday.
The mother of one of the victims of the attack on the Yavoriv military base lost her other son just weeks ago in Russia's war, reports ITV News Correspondent Romilly Weeks
The dad-of-two said he took cover in a makeshift bunker after fleeing his tent on the base.
He said: “We had no warning. It was just whoosh, bang and then about 30 times after that and our base absolutely got smashed to pieces.”
The attack - which was just 15 miles from the Polish border - killed 37 people.
"I was thinking what have I done?"
Mr Longland, a roofer from Leicester, said: “The whole ground shakes and your body shakes, but what was worse was when they were just hitting targets before and they were coming closer to us. I was thinking, that’s it.
“We found this little fox hole, this ditch, and jumped in there and waited until it was over," he continued.
“The smell of this black smoke, I will never get it out. I’ve never smelt anything like it before and I hope I don’t smell anything like it again.”
Mr Longland is now helping at a refugee centre in the Polish town of Korczowa, but says he will be going back into Ukraine.
The roofer said his mum "won't be happy" that he plans to go back to Ukraine and that he will miss his children
He told ITV News: “It’ll take a long time to get over it. I’m a bit scared but we just need to carry on doing what we can. I’m not scared, petrified to be fair.
“I’m no hard man, I’m just a simple person," he added.
"Anything I can do to be hands on and go out there and join the fight.”