Rowlands Gill couple Slava and Oleg Shumihin have always kept in close contact with their families in the Ukraine - but never as much as over the past few days.
For as the Russian invasion reaches its sixth day, their loved ones are never far from their minds as they make sense of the crisis their home country is facing and try to do what they can to help.
And although Slava, 36, and Oleg, 40, are separated from their families by nearly 2,000 miles, they are collecting goods to help the Ukrainian people caught up in the horror, at their families' request.
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Slava, 36, an operations manager, told of the day she woke up to the horror of the Russian troops invading her country.
"No-one believed this war could really happen," she said.
"On the morning of the invasion, I called my mum to check everything was OK, and the first thing she asked me was what was the weather like in the UK.
"I said I couldn't believe she had asked that question, and she said she wanted to start the conversation with something nice, not the horrific reality."
Both Slava's mother Angela, 59, and Oleg's mother, Tetiana, 62, have signed up as volunteers with the Territorial Defence Force in their home cities of Kyiv and Poltava respectively -a new military branch led by professional soldiers, to help protect their country.
"My family have UK visas - we could bring them over to the UK, but they are adamant that they are staying in their home land and fighting the atrocities there," said Slava
"My mum said if I wanted to help, to arrange collections for the Defence Force at a local level, so that is what I am doing.
"They do have equipment, but there has been so many new volunteers recruited recently, there is not enough to go round any more.
"We are appealing to our neighbours in the region for first aid kits, portable radios, protective ammunition and long shelf-life products."
Vans full of humanitarian aid are leaving London every day, arranged by Ukrainian communities living in the UK and Slava is driving to the capital next week to organise one herself, packed, she hopes, with the items needed to help people suffering in Ukraine.
"We are also asking people to donate money to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal and we are supporting friends and family in the Ukraine to help them buy food and other necessities," she said.
Slava met her husband, who is an electronic engineer, in Ukraine, and they moved to the UK two years ago.
Slava is from the capital Kyiv, where her 15-year-old brother lives with her mother.
Oleg's family are from the Poltava region, where his mum, dad, sister and brother still live in the town.
"I am speaking to mum mum constantly," said Slava.
"The sky is red from explosions clearly visible from my family home in Kyiv. They are seeing this every day.
"I have friends, classmates and family caught up in the war. "It is just horrific.
"We just want to do what we can and are trying to give as much practical help as we possibly can.
"All of our neighbours, friends and colleagues are giving myself and Oleg such great help and I feel incredibly supported by our UK community."
If you want to donate, call at 12 Dominies Close, Rowlands Gill, NE39 1BA or call Slava on 07818 840044.
To make a donation to the Red Cross's Crisis Appeal, click here
