A Ukrainian woman who used to teach kickboxing in North Wales has explained how her life has changed over the past year due to the war.

Viktoria Komarova, or Vika, has had her life turn upside down since the start of the war a year ago today (February 24).

Vika, from Zhytomyr in Ukraine, did originally flee to Poland with her children but has now gone back to Ukraine, where her husband has remained.

The beautician has said that they are struggling to get money for food and electric to keep warm, and there is not much work now for her business.

A video made at the beginning of the war showing Vika's situation: 

Vika used to teach kickboxing in North Wales, and began working with Russ Williams the former double world kickboxing champion from Flintshire, around 2007, who she and other Ukrainians have kept in touch with.

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She had enjoyed working in Wales, and even studied the Welsh language. When the war broke out, she did look into trying to get a UK visa but at the time it was “near impossible” according to Russ.

The Leader: A feature about Vika in the Leader A feature about Vika in the Leader (Image: Newsquest)

A gym has since opened near where she lives, and she had started kickboxing again to try to take her mind off the problems. According to Russ, she was surprised at how much she remembered from her time in Wales and has impressed others at the gym.

Vika would love to come to Wales with her family for a couple of weeks to have a nice break from the troubles, Russ said, but it would be hard to raise the money for the flights over here for them all and hard for her husband to get permission to leave the country.

Vika said: “I am at home with kids. Watching news. It’s a very horrible time now, never know what the Russians have prepared for us.

“On the 24th of February, the life has changed so much in here with those Russian killers. Cannot have any plans for future. The best news is to get home all together in the evening and not to get a bomb in the house.

“All life is like a terrible dream, the news all around about killed people, bombed houses and vanished towns. In the morning we are not sure if we see each other again, this terror gets in the mind and always is inside.

“A lot of kids are left by the adults, every day sirens are shouting. I don’t know what more to say. I cannot get used to this life. And no one knows when this horror stops.”

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Russ knows of other Ukrainian women who have tried to get visas to enter the UK, and even travelled to Poland to try to help, but they have made temporary homes in Germany, Holland, France, Belgium and the Czech Republic.

Russ said that they are all ready to go back to Ukraine as soon as it's safe and that his male friends there are either carrying on with what work they can do or are in local militias getting ready to protect their cities and some have gone to the east to fight on the front line.

On the anniversary, Russ said: “I'm just so sad the war is still going on and that my friends in and from Ukraine are still suffering because of it.”

He added: “I hope Vika and her family will make it over here in the next few months to have a break away from it all.”