Ukraine war: Woman from Uckfield worries for family still living in Cherkasy

A Ukrainian woman living in Uckfield has said she has been ‘struggling to eat’ knowing her family is still living in her home country since Russia began it’s military invasion.

Olena Shchebalkova has been living in Uckfield since 2014 with her two children, aged 10 and 13.

Olena’s father, brother, sister-in-law and niece live in Cherkasy, a city in the centre of Ukraine, which has faced air and missile strikes from the Russian military since February 24, 2022.

Olena described when she first heard the news: “It was quarter to five in the morning, when my brother called me. When I saw that he had called me at this time I started to worry and became panicky because the last time he had called me like this was when our mum died.

“I answered and my hands were shaking, it’s only bad news when people call you at this time. He told me that Russia had started bombing us.

“For the first four days after the news broke I couldn't swallow any food, my insides kept shaking all the time.”

Olena’s brother and her father both worked in the Ukrainian military and have lived at the city’s army base for the last twenty years.

Olena said: “It’s very hard, I don't sleep at the moment and I continue praying with my family each day.

“Every time I talk with my brother, his voice is more and more down, because he is worried about his son. I’ve asked if his children and wife would like to come and stay with me, but they won't leave him.”

Olena works at the Hurstwood View care home in Five Ash Down on night duties and said all of her colleagues had been very supportive since the invasion began.

Olena said: “I have always kept all of my holidays saved at work for the summer for when I go back to Ukraine to see my family. We always have such a lovely time and my children love going there.

“But now when you watch the news, it’s just devastating and unbelievable what they have done to us.

“We are such a beautiful country with lovely people and now everything has changed for us and it’s very sad.”

Olena said she calls her brother every couple of hours to check if his family and their father are okay.

She said: “My stomach has been turning all the time, my body is in England but my heart and head is in Ukraine. I can't concentrate on anything. I try my best for the children, they are devastated to see their mother so upset.

“I have lots of support from all my friends and colleagues who keep messaging every day. Everybody has asked if I need help or support. I want to thank them so much for thinking about me, my family and my country. What we are going through right now is awful.”

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