The Ukrainian community in Liverpool are fearing for their families and homeland after Russian President Vladimir Putin began his invasion of Ukraine this morning.
PM Boris Johnson has described President Putin as unleashing a “tidal wave of violence” against Ukraine.
Reverend Taras Khomych from the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Kensington, Liverpool, said: “We are all very worried”.
Rev Khomych said: “I am in touch with my community trying to support them.
“I’m asking them to keep calm and not to panic, to pray for peace and do whatever is possible to support Ukraine.”
There are funds being collected to support the victims of war.
Rev. Khomych said: “Us Ukrainians are actively supporting those collections now from the UK.
“So we don’t only observe what’s going on by we try to support our families back in Ukraine”
Reverent Khomych’s parents and other relatives live in Lviv, a major city in the western part of Ukraine.
Lviv is almost on the border of Poland, around 1,000 miles from the eastern border with Russia.
Rev Khomych said: “I am worried because distance is not a guarantee of safety.”
Featured Image, from Flikr, Creative Commons License.
