Russia's invasion of Ukraine has shocked the world. Ukrainian expats around the globe are watching the news in horror, constantly worrying about their loved ones back home.
Writer Declan Carey has opened up about what life is like for Ukrainians trying to deal with the invasion. In this intimate first-person story, he describes the worry and stresses of his girlfriend Alona, who was born there.
I first visited Ukraine in 2018, a year after I met my girlfriend Alona. We spent a week in Kyiv with friends and then met her mum, Tetiana, who lives in Odesa on the Black Sea coast. We've been back pretty much every year since, most recently in January, Declan told In Your Area.
