Emotions still raw at one-year anniversary of war

It has been a time for many within the Ukrainian community in the region to reflect on what has happened in the 365 days since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This has included the first-generation Ukrainians living in Wolverhampton and the surrounding areas, who have heard about events in Ukraine from family and friends and watched news reports with feelings of dread and horror.

Slava and Ian Madylus from Wombourne, whose parents were born in Ukraine, are among those feeling a mixture of emotions as the anniversary approaches.

Both spoke of feeling sad and shocked at the war starting and the fact that it was still going on, with 64-year-old Ian also venting some frustration about the international response.

Slava said: "The feelings are still very raw at the moment and probably even rawer than when the war started as we've actually gone on for a whole year."

Ian said: "It's incomprehendable to think about as we never felt it was going to happen and while we heard the Americans speaking about how it would happen, Ukrainians didn't think it would actually go on.

"Allegedly, we are all brothers, but it's been a massive shock for everyone and very sad that it's happening at all.

"I think the international response has been appalling, apart from the UK, which I take my hat off to as it's been amazing, but the rest of Europe has been very slow, very cynical and should have reacted when Crimea was poached in 2014."

Despite the war continuing to progress and stories of invasions and raids each day, Ian said he said the Ukrainian response had shown everyone the strength of the people.

He said: "I think the resistance of the people has shown everyone and I'm just amazed at what they've done with so little firepower and training as they've just got on with it.

"Someone said the other day that they are outnumbered 10 to one, but we are fighting like tigers and what people have to understand is that we are fighting for our territory and our land and if Russia gets it, there'll never be freedom."

Both also spoke of their family and friends living in Ukraine in and around the western part of the country and said they lived with the fear of not being able to contact them and finding out the worst.

Slava said: "On my side, I've got aunties and people I connect with every day and I could be talking to them and the sirens are going off and we have to cut off conversations, so I do fear for them at times."

Ian said: "We can't always contact them because emails are getting hacked, but we know they're safe at the moment as they live in western Ukraine, although they are still getting bombed."

For both Ian and Slava, the biggest fear they had was of the war being forgotten or not reported on in the media and said they wanted people to continue to remember that there was still a war going on.

Slava said: "It's worse than it's ever been before as they are bombing hospitals, schools and nurseries and, unfortunately, it's not getting as much media coverage as it did.

"They're doing a bit more now as it's the anniversary, but people keep asking me if the war is still going on because it seems to hush up and not be spoken about."

Ian said: "It can't become old news, but as long as people like Joe Biden are prepared to speak as he did in Poland, it just helps to remind people that the war is going on and, if they're not careful, it'll be on our doorstep soon.

"I'm also very impressed by the president Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he has shone through and been demanding in the right way and said that Putin is not talking to him, but is making demands of him and is not having it."

With the anniversary coming up, Ian said he still felt very sad and upset about the war.

He said: "It's so awful and I can recollect that when I got a phone call that told me it had started, I cried for two days.

"There are innocent people involved in this war and it's just not acceptable."