Bright Essien Recounts Scary Experience At Onset Of Russia’s Invasion

A young Nigerian footballer based in Ukraine, Bright Essien has recounted the scary experience he went through at the onset of Russia’s invasion of the East European country, before he eventually secured safe passage out of the war-torn nation.

The 19-year-old winger, who plays for Peremoga Dnipro, admitted he was lucky to escape from the base of his club in Ternopil to the Ukrainian border, then crossed into Hungary, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began.

Essien, who has been in Ukraine since 2019, previously outlined his concerns about fellow Nigerians trapped in Ukraine, but stressed that he is not thinking of returning home, as he continues to pursue his career overseas.

Megasportsarena.com gathered that this is despite the fact that he was left stranded in Ukraine after his team departed for a mid-season training camp in Turkey, leaving him behind in Ternopil, where he mixes playing football with studies.

The youngster is now weighing his options for departing Ukraine and heading for potential routes that could take him to another football destination, even as he settles down in Hungary for now.

Essien told goal.com: “I’m now in Hungary seeking shelter, but the accommodation here is very expensive. I’ve been changing location since I came.

“I would appreciate if anyone can help in any way, I want to leave here to Germany, but the accommodation there is the problem – I need somewhere there to settle first.

“They’re saying that it’s very difficult for foreigners to get through on the Poland border, but I hear that there are different borders – four borders – that we could go through.

“However, there are so many people on the borders, trying to get through, that I’ve heard it could take days [to cross].

“Slovakia, Romania and Hungary are taking care of foreigners coming in, and they give you time to stay in the country before you have to go back to your various countries.

“In Kyiv, what I’ve been seeing is so devastating. There have been missiles dropping, and any time the siren rings it means that there’s a rocket in the air coming towards Ukraine, around Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, or the western part of Ukraine.

“I don’t have funds, my parents don’t have any possible way to send me money from Nigeria.”