Agnieszka is an event management student at the University of Lincoln. Her Ukrainian mum and step-dad are stuck in Novovolynsk along with her two younger sisters.
Novovolynsk is a small town close to the Polish border. It is 59 miles away from a major city called Lutsk – which was attacked on the first day of the invasion.
Agnieszka said: “It’s crazy really. I can’t believe this is happening in 2022. I was really worried when it all started but I have come to terms with it now. My sisters are very scared at the moment.”
Agnieszka’s mum has a difficult choice to make. She wants to leave the country for her daughters’ safety but also wants to stay with her husband – who is forbidden from leaving, owing to the ban imposed on Ukrainian males aged 18 to 60. She is postponing the tough decision for as long as she can.
Agnieszka added: “It’s weird for me to think that I am sitting here sipping coffee and meanwhile there are people hiding in bomb shelters. I have messaged my friends in Ukraine and haven’t heard back from a few. I have been trying to connect them to people who are driving to Poland.
“There is nothing much I can do. But it’s great to see the world coming together for Ukraine. And it’s not just the state governments but also the people. I just wish it ends soon.”
Agnieszka is working in tandem with the university’s multi-faith chaplaincy on a donation drive for the Ukrainian refugees.
Drop off donation sites in Lincoln
