A year after the Russian invasion that tore her family apart, Liliia Kozlovska wished she could reunite with her husband in a flat in Nottingham, away from the deadly war in her motherland. "Us, Ukrainians, all we feel is pain inside", she told Nottinghamshire Live's Olimpia Zagnat, in a special interview a year after the major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, on February 24.
In Zhytomyr, a city in the north of the western half of Ukraine, Mrs Kozlovska woke up at around 6am to get her 12-year-old to school. But her daily routine was cut short when her husband checked his phone, and read the news that everyone was dreading to hear.
Speaking of her disbelief at the time, the 44-year-old mum said: "I was not 100, but 1000 per cent sure it will never happen.
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"Everyone was so worried for months. The night before, my daughter came to me and said that everyone was getting ready for it.
"I promised her that it will never happen", she added. "I try not to promise anything now, because I broke that promise."
Unlike other Ukrainian nationals who prepared in advance, Mrs Kozlovska said she never anticipated an "awful war like my grandparents had in the 21st century". She added: "Many people put together their 'anxiety suitcases'.
"It would normally contain documents, money, a key for your flat and a copy, cans of food and lights. But we were not ready because I told my daughter it will never happen."
Mrs Kozlovska rushed to get groceries and pack her 'anxiety suitcase', while her husband went to put fuel in his car. Recalling the day that changed her life forever, she added: "The first explosion was at 10am. We have an airport in our city, and the first explosion happened in the airport.
"We have armed forces based at the airport, and our city was surrounded. The explosions were coming from different parts, like in a circle.
"The first one [explosion] was very close to our house. The kitchen was shaking."
Mrs Kozlovska said Ukraine "was invaded in one moment". "I saw neighbours through the window collecting their things and going out", she said.
"We saw smoke, then the shaking, and then the alarm went off. Everyone then got out - we were staying in the street, looking in the sky - and planes were flying above us.
In a search for a shelter to protect themselves from the explosions, the Kozlovska family found a small part between two walls, in their hall. They created an improvised shelter where they would run to when they heard the alarms.
Recalling the ordeal of having to hide in her own home, Mrs Kozlovska added: "For me, it is the sound of the bombs. It was not the planes that were flying above our heads, but the sound of bombs and having to sit there in the hall, with your head near the floor because the sound is so scary.
"We saw big holes near our home where there used to houses. And that is when we decided that we need to move."
The decision of leaving her husband, family, friends, and her job as a teacher in Ukraine was not taken lightly. "I started crying when we decided to move. But it was after we saw big holes in the ground - and everything was black."
On March 2, Mrs Kozlovska left her flat in Ukraine and embarked on a mission to find a safe place for her daughter. The pair started their journey on the bus, and had to wait for about ten hours at the custom to cross the border to Poland.
"At least we were staying in the bus, and it was not very cold. But a lot of people were standing with children outside - it was a cold spring", she recalled.
They spent a month in Poland, where Mrs Kozlovska started to put her skills to use, becoming a private teacher and doing lessons online. But then, a new chance to normality and safety rose, when The Homes for Ukraine scheme was launched by the government in the UK.
And just overnight, Mrs Kozlovska was "overwhelmed" by the number of invitations from families in the UK who were willing to sponsor her and 12-year-old Sasha Kozlovska. "Even to this day, I cannot understand how British people are so open-hearted", she added. "They are incredible.
"I was very panicked on the way there - because that is when I realised, in the air, that I am flying to a country where I do not know anybody. It was awful.
"But when I met my sponsor in Nottingham - I was a lot calmer. Once I arrived in England, it just felt like a fairy tale. I love England, I love the people here, and I am a big fan of Harry Potter."
Meanwhile, her husband Artem Kozlovskyi, was trying to join the army in Ukraine. However he was unsuccessful due to his health problems.
He got permission to fly his homeland, and be a little closer to his family. "He travelled to Scotland through the programme", she added.
"Maybe it was not the best decision for him to be in Scotland, while we are here in Nottingham. But it is very hard to make decision when you are not in a calm state of mind."
But now, Mrs Kozlovska hopes that she could rebuild her life in Nottingham, and walk out as a teaching assistant after completing her course. Asked if she thought about moving back to Ukraine, the heartbroken mum said: "Right now, I can only think about what the next two weeks are going to bring. I do not know what happens after that.
"I am not ready to move back because I am concerned for my daughter's safety. I never thought that the war would still be going a year on."
She added: "I have friends who were on the frontline. Ukrainians might be smiling, but we are still in pain."
A vigil will take place in Nottingham on February 24, at the Brian Clough Statue to mark 365 days of Ukrainian Resistance against the Russian invasion. This will be followed by a march on February 25 at the same location.
The Chair of the Association of Ukrainians in Nottingham, Michael Holod, said: "We are grateful to the UK Government, devolved governments, political leaders, the British people and all spheres of UK society for their unwavering support for Ukraine and displaced Ukrainians over the past year.
“Russia’s war is a war against democratic values, international law and the right to self-determination. Ukraine will continue to resist and fight for a complete victory - at huge cost to its people - to protect sovereignty and democracy in Ukraine and secure lasting peace and stability for the whole of Europe.”
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