A teaching assistant in Swansea has said her 77-year-old mother is a hero to her for continuing to work as a nurse in Ukraine. Oksana Shapovalova grew up in Kherson, in the south of Ukraine, and that is where her mother has chosen to remain despite the city being occupied by Russian forces.
"She prefers to stay and feel useful," said Ms Shapovalova. "She tells us not to worry, everything is okay. She tries to protect us. She says, 'I can't leave these people.' Of course, to me, she is a hero. Shelling usually starts at 3am, and it's very difficult to go out."
Ms Shapovalova described Kherson as a strategic port city with a population of around 400,000 people. Situated in an agricultural region, the 47-year-old recalled "fields of gold" stretching into the distance as sunflower and wheat crops grew. Tomatoes and watermelon - the symbol for the area - were also in abundance.
