A Leeds man has spoken out about his fear and frustration as he finds it difficult to get his Ukrainian girlfriend to safety.
James Denny, 28, and partner Anna Volynets, 25, have been trying to get a Visa for Anna so she can come to the UK since July 2021.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine last week, James said they have been trying desperately to get her to the UK but 'haven't heard a thing' from the Home Office.
Click here for more news and updates about Russia's invasion of Ukraine
James, who used to partner Tom Daley in the 10m synchronised diving, told LeedsLive: "Anna has nowhere else that she can live other than Ukraine.
"It was terrifying when the invasion happened last week. To get that message at 4am saying they were watching Russia come in one the news and there were explosions in Anna's hometown. It felt so real all of a sudden.
"It's never good news for us at the moment, it's just bad after bad with no breaks. All I want is for Anna to be here, away from all this and safe. Nothing more.
"Anna's grandparents are still in the thick of it and that's really scary. We've been contacting them and trying to get them out of the apartment blocks and underground but they don't want to leave their house."
Anna and James met while living in Germany, where Anna was working as a dancer and James as a trick horse rider. Given their industries, they were hit hard by the Covid pandemic, but were able to remain at James' accommodation in Germany for a time.
They eventually decided to head back to the UK, as James said performing arts industries seemed to be opening up faster here, and in July 2021 started in the process of applying for a Visa for Anna, whose family are all based in Ukraine.
In October of the same year, Anna's temporary Visa ran out, and she had to go back to Ukraine for what the couple hoped would be a short time.
The day she arrived back home, she received an email telling her her Visa application had been refused.
James, who now lives in Cookridge, said they were told Anna had been refused because of his financial situation and because the Home Office said they hadn't received any evidence of her English proficiency.
For a first Visa application, applicants must pass the A1 English exam, but can take a higher level exam. Anna had taken the A2 exam instead, a harder test, and passed.
James immediately got in touch with the Home Office to ask them for the application to be reconsidered, saying they'd missed both Anna's English score and parts of his complicated freelance employment.
It took a lot of calls and emails, and James filing two complaints, but he said eventually the Home Office admitted there were problems in how the original decision was made, and they were told the application would be reconsidered.
In January 2022, Anna's application was refused again.
This time, her English proficiency was accepted, and the refusal was based on James' finances, leaving the couple feeling they had no choice but to launch an appeal against the decision.
"It's been so frustrating," said James.
"We felt we provided all the evidence. And with these Visa application processes - they're so expensive. I think in total it cost around €4,500 to send the first one. It was so hard to spend all that money and then get refused, we felt like there had not been justice.
"I understand my finances are complicated. But this is our first application and we don't have the money to employ an immigration lawyer to help us through it or anything.
"I don't understand why it took so long for it to get sorted."
But on February 24 last week, their situation became much more urgent.
Russia first invaded Anna's home country last week, and have continued to take control of cities while bombing areas and killing Ukrainian citizens.
Follow live updates on the Russian invasion of Ukraine here
Anna woke up in the early morning that Thursday to the news Ukraine was under attack, and called James immediately. After they spoke, she got her Mum, and drove straight for the Poland border from her hometown in Bila Tserkva, just south of Kyiv.
Anna and her mother made it to the border safely in two days, but were unable to convince her grandparents and extended family members to flee along with them before shelling started.
There have since been Russian missile strikes in Bila Tserkva, one which destroyed a dormitory.
The UN has estimated more than one million people fled Ukraine in just a week after Russian troops marched into the country.
Anna's mum is now a refugee in Poland and her grandparents are still in Ukraine - stressed and worried about providing for them, Anna decided to take a flight to Dubai on Monday for some freelance dancing work so she could send money back.
Meanwhile, James, originally from Garforth, has been spending the days since the invasion desperately trying to find a way to get Anna to the UK. He has managed to get her appeal date expedited to March 14, but that has been it so far.
Boris Johnson announced that the Ukrainian refugee access to the UK would be expanded earlier this week to let thousands more people in.
James said: "Anna doesn't want to be in Dubai. She's not in the right space of mind to be dancing right now but she just wants to provide for her family and felt like she needed to.
"We've seen the government announce on the news that Visa rules will be relaxed, but despite all my calling I haven't heard anything concrete.
"We want more action from Home Office because I just keep getting told conflicting things when I ring up.
"It might not mean a lot to some people, but me and Anna bought a cat together in Germany and he came back with me. Last week he was hit by a car and died. For me and Anna we've basically treated him like a child and the small things like that she's had to miss are so heart-wrenching.
"The scary thing is even if I get can get Anna here her family will still be stuck. If we an get here though we can start planning how to get her Mum here and safe."
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A Government spokesperson said: “We have been working at pace to launch the Ukraine Family Scheme and it is now open for extended family members to apply.
“As well as immediate family members, British nationals and people of any nationality settled in the UK will be supported to bring parents, grandparents, grandchildren, adult children and siblings to the UK.
“An unlimited sponsorship route is also opening soon for Ukrainian’s without family ties here, so communities, local authorities and others can sponsor and support those in need to come to the UK.”
James retired from diving in 2017. He won a silver medal with Tom Daley at the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
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