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My baby boy was born under hail of Putin's shells in war-torn Ukraine

My baby boy was born under hail of Putin's shells in war-torn Ukraine

Scottish Sun07-06-2025

They are considering a change after their son's birth
CHILD OF WAR My baby boy was born under hail of Putin's shells in war-torn Ukraine
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A SCOTS soldier who found love in Ukraine has revealed his wife gave birth to their firstborn son under a hail of Russian missiles.
Daile McGhie, 23, signed up to defend the war-torn country before meeting Zhenya, 21, and the pair got married last year.
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Daile McGhie with his newborn son Alexander
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Daile McGhie met Zhenya on dating app Tinder
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Their baby boy was born under threat from Russian ballistic missiles
Credit: Supplied
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Baby Alexander was born in Kyiv
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But after welcoming baby Alexander in the capital Kyiv, they are considering moving away for their child's sake.
Daile, originally from Kilmarnock, said: 'I'm very split on what to do right now. I'd prefer to have my family in a place I know is safe.'
He explained how the tot was brought into the world while the city was being bombarded by Putin's forces.
The ex-British Army squaddie said: 'When Alexander was born, we were under an air raid with ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones.
There were explosions nearby.
'It's difficult knowing our son is growing up in a country that is being heavily assaulted and destroyed.
'I only care about my wife and my son's safety.
'My life was only military before I met Zhenya, and Alex being born. It was a sign of hope for me — a sign that I had something to keep fighting for.'
After three years with The Rifles regiment, Daile joined the International Legion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine when Russian forces invaded in March 2022.
We told how he matched with Zhenya on dating app Tinder while he was on the frontline. They now live in the Ukrainian capital and had Alexander on May 5.
New footage of Op Spiderweb shows drone blitzing Putin's burning aircraft
Veterinary student Zhenya said she feared for their lives during the attack as she gave birth, adding: 'Having a child in that situation was scary.
'During every air raid I was holding Alex and covering him. My priority is his safety.
'When explosions get closer, I close his ears. Kids don't deserve to live in this. Hopefully this war will end soon.
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Daile and Zhenya got married last year
Credit: Supplied
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The pair are considering leaving the city for the safety of their son
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The loved-up couple welcomed baby Alexander into the world
Credit: Supplied
'I really want to stay in Ukraine and be with my parents. I want them to watch Alex grow up.'
Daile plans to keep fighting, while his wife is hoping carry on her studies and gain a vet diploma. They are researching visa options as friends raise funds to help them move.
Daile said: 'My main fear is that something will happen to Zhenya and Alex, or to me while I'm away. But I want to defend what I love.'

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