A Ukrainian refugee who fled her homeland to escape the war has spoken exclusively to Lanarkshire Live about her terrifying plight.
Natasha Kukharchuk and her six-year-old daughter, Sophie, packed up and left just as Russia began their invasion on Ukraine, fleeing for their lives and still completely unsure of what lies ahead.
Now, as Natasha tries her best to settle into life in Bothwell with her sister-in-law, Jill McKenna, and extended family, she is determined to do what she can to help those stuck in Ukraine, who face daily challenges and uncertainty amidst Russian warfare.
Natasha, who was originally married to a Scot, told Lanarkshire Live : "This is a really difficult and very terrible time and situation.
"Both my brother and mother are still in Ukraine. My mother didn't want to leave her homeland. Her and I had a very strong conversation about why she would stay, but for her she was very straight and did not want to to leave.
"She wanted to stay in her country and not stand down to Russia. But now as this war takes hold she sees and she is ready and actively looking to get to safety. I wish she had left with me two weeks ago.
"My brother is staying to fight and protect Ukraine. But the good thing is I can still speak with them all the time and keep them updated on what I know from the news and television."
Whilst Kiev native Natasha is happy to be in Scotland and safe with family, she admits her mind is with Ukraine all day, every day.
She explained: "For me I am happy to be in Scotland, but I worry all the time about my friends and family back home.
"My plan is to support my people as best I can and help to bring them out of the country or at least move them from Kiev.
"We still have peaceful parts of the country you know, for example while the Ukrainian east side is totally locked down the west side and south and north people are safe and it is more peaceful there.
"But for Kiev it is very dangerous and Russia are leading a big operation both from the air and on the ground.
"I don't even know if my house is still standing. Kiev is destroyed and unrecognisable, much of the city is gone and towns are on fire. It is heartbreaking.
"More importantly people are dying - literally hundreds of people dead or injured and I just pray for it to stop and for peace."
Since arriving in Bothwell, Natasha has been working with the Ukraine Appeal at M&Ds Theme park helping to pick and pack boxes of aid for Poland and the Ukrainian refugees there. She has also helped the team at M&Ds work to the strict guidelines for processing aid packages and helped to get the Ukrainian embassy involved to help with the paperwork.
She has also managed to get daughter Sophie enrolled in a local primary school and says the youngster is doing well considering their plight to flee Kiev.
She added: "Sophie is very happy to be with family here and has started her new school and is settling in well with new friends. Everyone there has been so nice and kind to both of us.
"She is doing well and she understands exactly why we had to leave the country. She knows I had to get her to safety.
"For me I have always been one step ahead and this was in Ukraine has not happened overnight. It has been building up over the years so I always knew I would leave when the time came. I always had a plan in my mind.
"Whilst I don't know what the future holds for us right now all I am concentrating on helping the suffering in Ukraine and the Ukraine appeal at M&Ds is keeping me busy. Everything else can wait."
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