A teacher has told of how she has not heard from her cousins since her home country was invaded by the Russians on February 24. Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine has been widely condemned around the world, with countries imposing economic sanctions and sending support to aid Ukraine in their fight.
Nadia Hannam, 42, headteacher of Birstall Primary Academy and interim principal of Boothroyd Primary Academy, West Yorkshire has not heard from her relatives since the invasion began, reports Yorkshire Live.
Speaking at an event on Sunday, she said: “I have relatives in Ukraine, cousins of mine, who we have not been able to contact since all this started. It’s upsetting to not know their whereabouts at the moment. You just feel so powerless and I I feel really sorry for the soldiers who have become sacrificial lambs.
“I think children will have difficult questions for us when we return to school on Monday and I am going to find it hard to remain impartial though children have an acute sense of what is right and wrong.”
West Yorkshire’s Mayor Tracy Brabin also gave a rallying call to Huddersfield's Ukrainian community at yesterday afternoon (Sunday). Approximately 100 people attended the meeting at its club in Edgerton including Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney as well as Kirklees Lib Dems leader Cllr John Lawson and Greens leader Cllr Andrew Cooper.
Politicians assured the mainly second and third generation Ukrainian British citizens that the government were fully behind Ukraine. Cllr Cooper unrolled a Ukrainian flag which he said he was pushing to be flown from the flagpole of Huddersfield Town Hall this week. Mr McCartney said he was pleased with response of the West following the invasion - praising the bravery and courage of the Ukrainian people.
He said: “Absolutely awful scenes that we have seen on our news channels.”
He said the country was united behind the British government’s resolve and “we would not tolerate or show any support whatsoever for the Kremlin.”
But he stressed that we must not “demonise every Russian person” and the vast majority of decent Russian citizens would not support what has taken place.
Chairman of the Huddersfield Ukrainian Association, John Kybaluk, said he was delighted with the response and said he had struggled to sleep the last few days as he has relatives in Ukraine. He said: “It has touched everybody, this.”
Ms Brabin told the gathering: “This is for the people of West Yorkshire to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you.”
And she said the outstanding leadership of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy was an inspiration for leaders such as herself to do better.
She said: “I can’t imagine what people in Ukraine are feeling and the idea that you are faced with going to pick up a gun with a potential threat to protect your family, I can’t imagine what that must be like.”
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
