‘We didn’t want this war, we just want to live in peace’
A UKRAINIAN woman trapped on the outskirts of Kyiv has described life for those caught in the crossfire of the
Russian invasion.
Mila Florence, who goes by the name Ludi, is stuck in an apartment building at the edge of Ukraine’s capital.
Ludi has been in Ukraine for over two years, but prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 37-year-old lived in South Shields with her husband Stephen, who still lives there.
From her window, she says at midday the once bustling streets are now deserted after a long night filled with the sounds of missiles and shelling. Ludi said: “My husband is desperate for me to leave the country and get back to England or go to Poland for safety, but the city is being circled right now and it isn’t safe to attempt to leave.
“There is an airport not too far from us, but we don’t want to risk travelling out.
“The other routes out of the country will take days because of the long queues, as so many families are fleeing.
“People sleep overnight in the train stations which are running in desperation to leave the city.
“The government has also introduced a five o’clock curfew now, which makes being able to leave the city much harder.
“We have to stay sane,” she says. “It’s hard to do that because we hear the sirens at night, they are extremely loud.
“Last night we only got a little sleep because of the sounds of missiles and shelling above us. “
Ludi has male friends who have recently signed up to protect Ukraine.
“We are fighting for our country, for our children and for our human rights,” said Ludi.
“The men I know going into battle are strong and exceptionally brave.
“We are not scared of Putin or his army. In this situation, he is the only one with blood, our blood, on his hands.
“We didn’t want this war, we just want to live in peace in our own country. We will never, ever let him forget what he’s done.”