Ukraine refugees face applying for visa extensions

Sisters Yevheniia and Maria Shepilova, from Kherson, initially moved in with a host family in Staffordshire but now have their own place

Many Ukrainians living in the UK are facing having to apply for extensions to their visas, with little prospect of being able to return home soon.

Thousands of displaced refugees have now been in the West Midlands for three years, and some have been fundraising to help the war effort back home.

Many have been trying to adapt to life in a different country while being separated from loved ones.

Among them are sisters Yevheniia and Maria Shepilova from Kherson, who initially moved in with a host family in Gnosall, Staffordshire.

Their parents are still in Ukraine, but it is too unsafe for them to return and they are applying for visa extensions.

"They soon settled in and they were just so lovely, it was just great to see that we're able to help them," said host Peter Thompson.

They are now in their own home, with part time jobs and a hobby - designing and writing comics.

"We got a new life here, and we are trying to build our lives because we are just in the stage that we have to do something with our lives – and we really do feel alive again," Yevheniia said.

Maria added: "It really moves me that there are some people in another part of the world who didn't know us who actually gave us this support and this hope."

'Very scary'

Ira Shchetynina is also among the hundreds of Ukrainians still living in Staffordshire.

She had to escape her home town of Zaporizhzhia when Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.

She now lives in Lichfield with her parents and seven-year-old son, but believes the ordeal has worsened her health.

"The war started, a lot of stress, moving places, and I started dialysis. It got worse because of the war, because of the stress," she said.

"As a mother I would be happy for [my son] to stay here and build his life here in Great Britain and I will support him however I can."

Ms Shchetynina and her friend Olga Soloviova have raised thousands of pounds by organising charity events.

On a recent visit to Dnipro, Ms Soloviova saw how money was being spent to help displaced people and pay for drones.

"It works that we can defend our cities," she said.

"It would be very scary if Trump, or some politician, just forces us to give away some territory."