Ukrainians living in the North East are watching on in terror as their home country is invaded.
In the early hours of Thursday, Russia launched a military assault on its neighbour, which Ukrainian authorities have said has already killed 40 soldiers and up to 10 civilians.
For Ukrainians living abroad, the invasion means terror for family and friends back home, as they watch on unable to help.
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Lesya Bourne, 51, moved to Gateshead from her home in Ukraine in 2004 to live with her British husband, with whom she now has two teenage children.
She said: "It's a very difficult time. It's maybe even more scary being here because we don't know what's going on, we just have to see it on the news. No one knows what will come next.
"I have my parents, my sisters, all my family in Ukraine, my parents are elderly and they find it difficult to move, so they'll just have to stay in the house if anything happens.
"We don't want this, there should be no families' lives destroyed, but they are in danger.
"Until the last moment I didn't believe this would happen, I woke up this morning to a phone call from my friend saying 'have you seen the news - it's started'. I ran downstairs and my first thought was 'how is my family, how will they manage?'"
In a pre-dawn television address, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the land, air and sea invasion, demanding that Ukraine's military lay down its arms. Responding to the unprovoked, attack Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky declared martial law and severed all diplomatic relations with Russia.
Lesya said it was especially terrifying to think of her young male relatives who may be called up to fight in defence of their country.
On Thursday, the mum-of-two met up with a group of fellow North East-based Ukrainians, and said many of them had similar fears.
"Some have family in the East of Ukraine where a lot of the fighting is, some have family in Kyiv - and many have family in Russia," she said.
"It's a worry for everyone, everywhere, it doesn't matter if you're Russian, Ukrainian or whatever, naturally we all want peace. What I want people in the UK to understand is that Ukraine needs support and understanding, there are lots of ways to help and I very much appreciate what people are doing to help Ukraine, it is very much needed.
"We need support and help for Ukraine, payers for us and for the aggressor, may he go in the right direction and end this."
Alina Gallacher-Gazhur, who lives in Berwick, agreed that the UK and other European countries needed to send more support to Ukraine, calling for more military support including the provision of extra weapons to help her home country match Russia's strength.
She fears that if Russia is not quickly defeated in Ukraine, more invasions could follow.
She said: "It's not just a scary time for Ukrainians, it's scary for everyone in the world. I think people in Europe don't understand that [Russian president] Putin doesn't just want to occupy Ukraine, it will be Poland, it will be Moldova, he will keep going. Europe needs to do more to help Ukraine.
"I am getting calls from Ukraine every second, all of my family is there and I have friends in every city sending me information and what they are telling me is terrible."
The 40-year-old spoke of the terror she felt for her family, as her parents living just 5km from an area which has already been hit by bombs.
She said: "My heart is crushed for my family, I just want to go back to Ukraine to be with them, I don't know how I can stay here and watch how they are destroying my people, my family and my country. I want people to know that governments in the UK and Europe need to do everything they can to help us, because we are dying."
Meanwhile, another local Ukrainian, who did not wish to be named, said they along with many fellow British-Ukrainians needed Government help to bring their loved ones to safety here.
They said: "The UK also needs to help British citizens with Ukrainian relatives so they can come here easily and safely. Long queues are building up at border crossings."
In an update to the House of Commons, Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed to impose a series of sanctions which he said were "the largest and most severe package of economic sanctions that Russia has ever seen" as he joined leades around the world in calling on President Putin to withdraw his forces.
Addressing Russians, he said: "I cannot believe this is being done in your name, or that you really want the pariah status it will bring to the Putin regime." And the Prime Minister told Ukrainians that the UK was "on your side".
Lesya said anyone who wanted to help support Ukraine should visit https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/ to find information and links to charities.
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