A Ukrainian refugee has praised the British people for their hospitality, and now looks to help her sister find a host family too.

Kateryna Bondarchuk, who left Ukraine with her family one week after Putin’s invasion and settled with a host in Steeple Claydon, Buckingham, has urged her sister-in-law – still in Ukraine – to reach out to communities on Facebook in the hope of finding a home nearby.

Kateryna’s sister-in-law, Yuliya Panchyshyna, posted a long and heartfelt plea in one of Bicester’s community Facebook groups, asking if anyone could host her and her husband Ruslan, and their four sons, Yura, Roma, Vova and Ruslan.

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Yuliya, 36, said: “My husband had been working as a builder for 10 years, but because of the war there is no longer any building work, and my husband lost his job.

“My salary cannot cover all the expenses that the family needs every month.

“All of our children are sociable, responsible and happy to help out around the house. They like to draw and play various games.

“We are open-hearted, ready to help, neat, responsible and without any bad habits.”

Hoping her sister-in-law can be hosted within a reasonable distance from her, Kateryna said: “I recommended Yuliya posted in the Bicester group because it’s very near to where I live.

“If she is close then I can help her with her English, and help her and her family settle and make friends.”

Kateryna spoke about the situation in Ukraine, and how it is affecting her sister-in-law and her family: “Yuliya and her husband could not think about leaving sooner because they are also looking after Ruslan’s grandmother, who lives with them.

“They couldn’t just leave her alone. But now they have found somebody who can stay with her.

“They hoped the war would end soon after it began, all Ukrainians hoped the war would end quickly.

“Yuliya and Ruslan of course want to keep their sons safe, because rockets still fly, and nobody knows where the next rocket will land. It’s never safe in Ukraine.

“I know Yuliya and her family will feel safe here, like my family do. We’re very grateful to the British people who have given us a home after leaving a very difficult situation.

“We wanted to move somewhere where we could get some sleep and our wonderful host has helped us feel safe.

“The British people have kind hearts, and they’ve helped the Ukrainians so much. You are brilliant, and generous people.”

Putin invaded Ukraine on Thursday, February 24 last year. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates that over 8,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed in the conflict.

 

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This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1