Snooker star Iulian Boiko describes ‘terrifying’ situation in Ukraine as family flees and friends move underground

Ukrainian snooker star Iulian Boiko has explained how his family have fled their country, while his friends have been forced to spend most of their time underground during the Russian invasion.

The 16-year-old – who became the youngest professional ever in 2020 – is trying to focus on his snooker career in the UK, and picked up an impressive win over Liam Davies at the Welsh Open this week, but his concentration is understandably on the horrors in his home country.

Now back in Sheffield after losing out to Mark Allen in the second round in Newport, Boiko explains how his family have left Ukraine, but his friends have been forced underground to try and keep safe.

‘The situation is terrifying, there is full scale war going on,’ Boiko told ITV’s Good Morning Britain. ‘Attacks, explosions, missiles so it’s really terrifying because I’m really worried for all the people who are there, all the Ukrainians, it’s really bad.

‘They [family] are all safe. At the time of invasion fortunately my father and two of my brothers were out of the country. Mum had to flee to come to Poland and for now they’re safe.

‘My parents continue doing their job from Poland and also they’re helping people find shelters and places to stay so I’m really proud of them.

‘I think this is what unites our country, that all of the people are helping each other at the moment.

‘I have a lot of friends and basically all of my team are like family to me, they’re all in Ukraine. I try to talk to them as much as I can, that’s why it takes a little bit of focus and concentration out of snooker because you realise that’s not as important as the people’s peace and lives.

‘They have to stay underground most of the time. Everybody’s looking for safe places to stay, to survive