Sir Elton has known Lev, now six, since he tried to adopt him in 2009 (pictured). It is thought the singer helped rescue the Ukrainian boy and his family . Elton John is believed to have helped the rescue of a  six-year-old boy from the conflict in Ukraine. Lev Ageyev, six, his brother Artyom, seven, and their grandmother Yulia Ageyeva were rushed out of the  port city of Mariupol in a  460-mile dash arranged by  a foundation run by the singer’s close friend,  socialite Olena Franchuk. Sir Elton has known Lev since attempting to adopt  him in 2009. At the time he was unable to defy laws in Ukraine barring gay couples from adoption. Yesterday’s rescue mission took place as protesters in the city formed a human chain of more than 1,000 people demanding that  pro-Russian forces keep out. Last night, the singer’s representative declined to comment, but it is believed Sir Elton and his partner David Furnish were involved. Speaking from near Kiev, Mrs Ageyeva said: ‘I thank God for whoever helped us.’ The rescue came as EU leaders were scrambling last night to . bolster sanctions which have so far failed abysmally to halt the Russian . president’s determination – in Western eyes – to bully Ukraine into . remaining in his orbit. A key . concern is that he intends to use his military might to impose a new . ‘statelet’ within Ukraine called Novorossiya –  or New Russia. What . remains of Ukraine could be left with  no coastline if the plan goes . through. A diplomat said: ‘Putin is obsessed with Novorossiya, territory won for the Romanovs by Catherine the Great. He wants it back. 'But the . so-called rebels in this region of eastern Ukraine, who he praised for . keeping Kiev’s army at bay,  are his own soldiers, using his latest . military equipment. Let’s not fool ourselves about the acute dangers.’ Putin’s use of the Tsarist name of Novorossiya is sending shudders through Europe. While . it includes the Donetsk and Lugansk regions – at the epicentre of the . current unrest – it also includes such major cities as Kharkiv, Kherson . and Odessa. The six-year-old was rescued from Mariupol in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, where the West is concerned Putin will use his military to impose a New Russia 'statelet' in Ukraine. Above, Ukrainian troops are evacuated from the rebel-held town of Starobesheve . Volunteers dig trenches near to defend Mariupol, Donetsk, from pro-Russian rebels. Nev, his brother and his grandmother were rescued from the city in a mission believed to involve Elton John and David Furnish . The rescue mission took place as protesters in Mariupol formed a human chain of more than 1,000 people demanding that pro-Russian forces keep out, while others dug trenches to keep out the troops (pictured)
Elton John has known six-year-old Lev since attempting to adopt him in 2009 .
He was unable to defy Ukrainian laws barring gay couples from adoption .
Lev, his brother and their grandmother were rushed out of city of Mariupol .
Protesters in the city today demanded that pro-Russian forces keep out .
Sir Elton has known Lev, now six, since he tried to adopt him in 2009 (pictured). It is thought the singer helped rescue the Ukrainian boy and his family . Elton John is believed to have helped the rescue of a  six-year-old boy from the conflict in Ukraine. Lev Ageyev, six, his brother Artyom, seven, and their grandmother Yulia Ageyeva were rushed out of the  port city of Mariupol in a  460-mile dash arranged by  a foundation run by the singer’s close friend, socialite Olena Franchuk. Sir Elton has known Lev since attempting to adopt  him in 2009. At the time he was unable to defy laws in Ukraine barring gay couples from adoption. Yesterday’s rescue mission took place as protesters in the city formed a human chain of more than 1,000 people demanding that  pro-Russian forces keep out. Last night, the singer’s representative declined to comment, but it is believed Sir Elton and his partner David Furnish were involved. Speaking from near Kiev, Mrs Ageyeva said: ‘I thank God for whoever helped us.’ The rescue came as EU leaders were scrambling last night to . bolster sanctions which have so far failed abysmally to halt the Russian . president’s determination – in Western eyes – to bully Ukraine into . remaining in his orbit. A key . concern is that he intends to use his military might to impose a new . ‘statelet’ within Ukraine called Novorossiya –  or New Russia. What . remains of Ukraine could be left with  no coastline if the plan goes . through. A diplomat said: ‘Putin is obsessed with Novorossiya, territory won for the Romanovs by Catherine the Great. He wants it back. 'But the . so-called rebels in this region of eastern Ukraine, who he praised for . keeping Kiev’s army at bay,  are his own soldiers, using his latest . military equipment. Let’s not fool ourselves about the acute dangers.’ Putin’s use of the Tsarist name of Novorossiya is sending shudders through Europe. While . it includes the Donetsk and Lugansk regions – at the epicentre of the . current unrest – it also includes such major cities as Kharkiv, Kherson . and Odessa. The six-year-old was rescued from Mariupol in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, where the West is concerned Putin will use his military to impose a New Russia 'statelet' in Ukraine. Above, Ukrainian troops are evacuated from the rebel-held town of Starobesheve . Volunteers dig trenches near to defend Mariupol, Donetsk, from pro-Russian rebels. Nev, his brother and his grandmother were rescued from the city in a mission believed to involve Elton John and David Furnish . The rescue mission took place as protesters in Mariupol formed a human chain of more than 1,000 people demanding that pro-Russian forces keep out, while others dug trenches to keep out the troops (pictured)
Artyom, seven, and their grandmother Yulia Ageyeva were rushed out of the  port city of since attempting to adopt  him in 2009. At the time he was unable to defy laws in Ukraine barring gay couples from adoption. Yesterday’s people demanding that  pro-Russian forces keep six-year-old was rescued from Mariupol in the pro-Russian rebels. Nev, his brother and his