Ukrainian refugee who lost home in bombing feels UK welcome

Lina Udodenko drove hundreds of miles across Ukraine to flee

A Ukrainian refugee whose home has been bombed said people in Nottingham had made her feel welcome.

Lina Udodenko is from Severodonetsk, in Donbas, which has been attacked by Russian forces.

After sleeping in bomb shelters for three weeks, she drove hundreds of miles to flee - but she has been unable to contact her father for two weeks.

She said: "I have no idea how he is. We read every day how more people have died and we just hope it is not him."

"All these three months - I feel like I have cried every day," she added.

Ms Udodenko slept in this cupboard in her home with her mother

The 26-year-old said she found out this week that her home had been destroyed after seeing a video on Facebook of her city.

"I recognised my house - it had exploded. Nothing is saved there," she said.

Ms Udodenko slept in a bomb shelter near her home, which she said was really cold

Talking about seeing the video, she said: "It's really shocking. All the time you understand that it can happen... but you still believe your house will be safe. All my stuff is still there, my car is still there.

"You still can't believe it - you still want to return."

Ms Udodenko said her 91-year-old grandfather was sitting on the sofa when a bomb exploded near to his apartment.

"It just one day exploded, all the windows in his apartment and I think that is why he had a stroke," she said.

Ms Udodenko said he was now in Germany with her mother and grandmother.

Ms Udodenko's grandfather's home has also been damaged by bombing

Ms Udodenko, who used to have a job supporting refugees, is being hosted in Nottingham through the Ukrainian Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine).

She said since arriving just over a week ago, she has already been to a wedding that her host was attending.

She added: "A lot of people said they can bring me cake the next day, or they will help me or show me this cafe in the city's nice.

"Everyone added me on Facebook and now I have a lot of friends here."

Ms Udodenko, who moved to the UK because she hopes her English will help her find work, added: "It's really nice here but for me it's not my home, and it's hard to imagine how now we can return there."