11-year-old boy crosses Ukraine border with phone number written on his hand

New Delhi: A boy from Zaporizhzhia in southeast Ukraine, was hailed “a hero of the night” by Slovakian authorities after they said he crossed Ukraine’s border into Slovakia on his own, CNN reported.

The 11-year-old was carrying a backpack, a plastic bag and a passport, and had a telephone number written on his hand, according to the Slovak Ministry of Interior.

The boy's frightened mother sent him on the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) journey alone by train to find relatives, staying behind to care for her sick mother who can't be moved.

Zaporizhzhia is the site of Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant taken by Russian troops that caught fire after a building was hit with a projectile.

The statement said that thanks to the information written on the boy’s hand and on a piece of paper that was folded in his passport, the staff at the border were able to get in touch with the boy’s relatives in Slovakia who were then able to come and collect him, CNN reported.

“He came all alone because his parents had to stay in Ukraine. Volunteers took care of him, took him to a warm place and gave him food and drink.

“He won over everyone with his smile, fearlessness and determination worthy of a real hero,” the statement said. It is unclear why the boy was unaccompanied.

More than 1.2 million refugees have now left Ukraine since February 24, according to the UN as of March 3. Of the 1,209,976 refugees who have fled, a majority of them, 53.7 per cent, crossed into Poland.

Others have gone to countries including Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova, and Romania.