A Ukrainian beautician has shared her heartbreak at watching the events unfold in her homeland.
Anastasia Danitoui, owner of AD Beauty in Vine Court, moved to Evesham in 2007, leaving her family in Ukraine.
Her mother is half Russian, making her experience of the conflict even more difficult.
"We were not surprised at the invasion,” said Anastasia, "but we didn't know Putin was going to break every rule of international law... bombing schools, kindergartens and hospitals and killing civilians. You just don't do that.
“On the news in Russia, they don’t see what is really happening
“When I have been to Russia, the last time in 2019, the news and radio is just unbelievable.
“My cousin in Ukraine is married to a Russian girl. Two weeks ago, she called her mother and within hours she had been arrested.
“A lot of people will think Ukrainians hate Russians because of what is happening but that is not the case. We just don’t support Putin, his leadership, and what he is doing. It is nothing about the people.”
Anastasia’s family are safe for now, most of them living in the western town of Bar, which usually has a population of 15,000.
However, there are now more than 1,500 refugees living there, having fled their homes in other parts of the country.
She added: “I am talking to my mum everyday but with some of my friends in the south communication is on and off. They don’t always have Wi-Fi and some of the phone lines have been shot down.
“Then in some places, like Kharkov, it is really hard to get through because they are all hiding underground, which I’m not sure is safe.
“My mum is baking non-stop everyday to try and feed everyone in the town, and to send to the people in Kyiv. My uncle owns the biggest farm in the area and is in charge of the boys.
“They have also dug a trench around the town to stop the tanks if they come.”
Anastasia lives in Evesham with her two children, Elizabeth and Alexandra, and husband Valentine Danitoui, who is a local farmer.
He has pledged to take on 60 Ukrainian refugees and offer them free accommodation.
Her plight has also prompted Abbots Morton Village Hall to dedicate its coffee morning on Tuesday, March 22, to the Disasters Emergency Committee.
The event starts at 10am, and the Hall will also be collecting supplies to be sent over to Ukraine.
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