A Ukrainian woman living in Dublin has said she was afraid to close her eyes last night thinking of her family back home.

It is understood Russian forces are now inside the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, with gunfire heard in the city’s governmental district.

Loud explosions and air raid sirens have rung out across the city, and thousands of people have been taking shelter in underground train stations.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ordered a ordered a mass mobilisation decree that paves the way for civilians to take up arms against Russian forces.

Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 have been told they cannot leave the country for as long as martial law, announced when the Russian invasion began, remains in force.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, 20-year-old Ukrainian woman Anastasiya Sytnyk said her entire family is back in Ukraine and she has been afraid to sleep since the invasion began.

“The entire night I was afraid to close my eyes,” she said. “My family were afraid to close their eyes because when they close their eyes, they know there are going to be more bombings.

“There are actual armies on Kyiv’s doorstep and they have announced that they are going after our president and his family.”

"They're bombing us"

Anastasiya said she woke up yesterday morning to a text from her sister reading: “It’s started; they are bombing us.”

She said her father is now working to get his wife and young son out of the country – before joining the army to fight.

“As much as I hate the idea of my father possibly getting hurt there have already been 137 deaths – that’s just from yesterday so not counting the casualties from this morning,” she said.

“Even in the Ukrainian anthem - we have always been under some kind of aggression from Russia - it says our soul and our bodies we will lay down for our people and for our land.

“My father takes that to heart. He thinks that he will never forgive himself if he doesn’t protect his country now because it is obvious we are not getting help from anywhere else.”

Solidarity

Asked what Irish people can do to help, Anastasiya said “the most important thing now is solidarity”.

“If you do have Ukrainian friends who are away from home, please reach out to them because they are suffering just as much as people who are back home,” she said.

“I just hope there is going to be help because it’s getting really scary.”

Putin

She said she has no anger toward the Russian people – only their government.

“I have never hated a person,” she said. “I have always been kind and friendly. I have never held any aggression or hurt.

“I am in a relationship with a Russian. I don’t hate the Russian people. I do hate their government.

“I hate the fact the Putin is going on this power trip. He is talking about a long-dead empire. He is denying us our right to sleep peacefully. To have our brothers and sisters with us at home. To have our country united and not have our people run from their homes at 5am in the morning.

“Tell me, what normal person would bomb live cities? They are not bombing just military equipment and military bases. They are hitting houses. They hit a kindergarten. They hit 5km from my home and I am nowhere near a military base.”

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