A Ukrainian-born woman, who has been living in the UK for nearly 18 years, says the current Ukraine-Russia conflict is a ‘living nightmare’.
Rita Lias moved to UK from Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine nearly 18 years ago and is currently living in Bacup.
Rita, 39, is now urging people in East Lancashire to make donations and do whatever they can to help the people at war in her home country.
After Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, Rita said she “couldn’t believe” what she was seeing on the news.
She said: “My first thought was that it couldn’t be true. I couldn’t believe it – I still can’t.
“I wake up every morning and send messages and call around my relatives to make sure everyone is okay.
“It’s like a nightmare you can’t wake up from.”
Rita, who still has family in Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv, said she has been “consumed” by news updates and is constantly checking to see what has happened.
She said: “I follow the news all the time and am constantly being sent updates but it can be so upsetting.
“It’s the last thing I do before I go to bed and the first thing I look at when I wake in the morning.
“It’s so consuming. But I am trying to do whatever I can from my side by collecting donations and raising money for bank accounts and charities.”
Rita calls her relatives daily and says they have been ripped from their homes and forced to hide in bunkers.
She said: “They don’t know what’s happening and they are nervous.
“They have had to leave their homes and they are in between bunkers, hiding from shells and bombs.
“When they are allowed, they can go to their homes to get supplies and then come straight back to the bunkers.
“They are just hoping the conflict will end”.
While hundreds of miles from Ukraine, Rita says there are some things people can do in Lancashire to help.
She said: “There are some things you can do to help. You can tag your local MPs in posts who can get in touch with government officials.
“There are bank accounts to donate to and Polish clubs are collecting donations from around the world.”
Ashleigh Kobevko is a third generation Ukrainian and currently living in Rossendale.
Her auntie lives in Ivano-Frankivsk and says she is terrified.
Ashleigh said: “When you are part of the Ukrainian community you meet and make friends with other people.
“Whenever we have gone to visit her, we become acquainted with others in the town – they’re not blood family but we still worry about them as if they are.”
As soon as she discovered about the Russian invasion, Ashleigh said she felt “shocked” and “panicked”.
She said: “I immediately panicked, and was just trying to see if my family were okay.
“My auntie is nearly 80 and she was in floods of tears and couldn’t believe it was happening.
“One of my friends, from Lviv, has just had to abandon their flat and flee to a village where it’s safer. They’re in shock but they don’t want to leave – they want to defend their home country.”
Groups, organisations and individuals across Lancashire have been showing their support to Ukraine.
The Blackburn Community Women’s football team showed their solidarity with Ukraine by wearing the country’s colours.
A spokesperson said: “You may notice that today our ladies mixed the home and away kit to match the colours of the Ukrainian flag.
“This was done to show our support for players within the club who have families affected by the war in Ukraine.
“We stand by you and the many other families affected by this tragic war.”
There are numerous local charities, individuals and organisations collection donations which will be sent to the Polish borders.
Rossendale Councillor, Samara Barnes, is organising donations to Ukraine and will be collecting them in Greater Manchester town, Bury.
Posting to Facebook, she said: "My lovely mum and I will be collecting items to take to the Polish Centre in Bury to be sent over to Ukraine.
The items we are collecting are:
- Towels
- Toothbrush
- Menstrual Products
- Tin mugs
- Crayons
- Children’s clothes
- Bandages
- Foil survival blankets
We are going to go over on Thursday (3 March).
If you have anything you would like to donate, please can you drop it off with me or my mum (PM for addresses) by Thursday afternoon.
Visit her Facebook page to learn more.
Kimberley Whitehead, secretary for Hyndburn Labour party, is also urging the people of East Lancashire to donate to make a donation.
My brother lives between the #Ukraine 🇺🇦 & 🇬🇧. He is currently organising collections and donations to go to Ukraine next week. If anybody has anything at all to donate in East Lancashire please get in touch. Item list below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/CZekTWqcpu
— Kimberley Whitehead 🌹 #LevelUpLancashire (@kimjwhitehead) February 27, 2022
Her brother, Harley, works between Ukraine and the UK and is currently organising a charity donation.
She is urging local people to get in touch with her if they are willing to make a donation.
Kimberley said: “My brother lives between the #Ukraine and Great Britain.
“He is currently organising collections and donations to go to Ukraine next week. If anybody has anything at all to donate in East Lancashire please get in touch.”
Items on the list include cookies, tampons, wet wipes, paracetamol, antiseptic and more.
Get in touch via Kimberley’s Twitter page or to make a monetary donation call: 07754973070.
There will be a vigil for the people of Ukraine on Wednesday (2 March), which will be held in Whalley Parish Church at 7pm.
Donations made via JustGiving and use of the JustGiving website will be subject to the JustGiving privacy policy https://www.justgiving.com/about/info/privacy-policy/privacy-policy-v30 and cookie policy https://www.justgiving.com/about/info/cookie-notice None of the donations will be collected by Newsquest.
Financial transactions are with JustGiving to donate to the British Red Cross Society DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
In the unlikely event that the British Red Cross Society raise more money than can be reasonably and efficiently spent, any surplus funds will be used to help them prepare for and respond to other humanitarian disasters anywhere in the world. For more information visit https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/disaster-fund Charity Registration No. Eng/Wales 220949,Scot SC037738, IOM 0752, Jers430
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