Ukrainian families who fled Kyiv are welcomed with open arms in Sarisbury Green during emotional scenes

Yuliia Beresneva, 33, her son Danya, 10, and daughter Anya, five, ran for their lives in the opening days of the war as their home in Kyiv came under attack from Russia.

They were joined by Yuliia’s friend, Olha Sukhovii, 37, and her nine-year-old daughter Zhenya as they sought refuge in Britain.

Both of the terrified mothers left their husbands back in Ukraine to volunteer with the resistance fighting against Vladimir Putin’s invasion force.

And now, two months after leaving their Kyiv homes, the families are starting to rebuild their lives living with host families in Sarisbury Green, with the children having been welcomed with open arms by a local primary school.

An emotional Yuliia, who was an auditor and risk manager in Ukraine, was full of praise for her host family – who asked not to be identified.

She said: ‘They are very kind and very supportive. They are empathetic. They cry with us when we cry.

‘We feel so good because we know our children are safe. They can go back to school and can learn’

But she added it was hard talking to her relatives and friends still in Ukraine and said: ‘I want to be back there helping but I know we must stay here for our children because it is safe. They are Ukraine’s future.’

Yuliia and Olha are the first of hundreds of Ukrainian refugees arriving into Hampshire following delays in securing visas.

Their arrival in Sarisbury Green was supported by Fareham MP and attorney general, Suella Braverman – whose team personally intervened to support their refugee bid.

During an emotional visit to meet the two families, mother-of-two Mrs Braverman burst into tears and embraced Yuliia and Olha.

Crying, she said: ‘You are welcome here. You are part of our family. You will have safety. The whole country wants to do everything it can to support you and to help your children have a future.’

Yuliia described the attack on Kyiv as scary and added: ‘It was 5am and we could hear the boom of the bombs and the sirens outside.

‘When the children heard the loud roar of the fighter planes they were scared. I was scared too. We just knew it was such a bad situation.

‘We stayed in Kyiv for two days and then left for a village nearby where we stayed for another two weeks. But the war didn’t stop. That’s why we went to another country. It wasn’t safe.

‘We were feeling so bad. We had just one bag. Our whole life was in one bag.’

A heartbroken Olha added: ‘We couldn’t believe that the war could have started. We never dreamt it could happen.

‘The Russians are not human. Putin is not human.’

Although glad to be in the UK, the two mothers say they are eager to return to their homes in Ukraine when it is safe to do so.

Olha added she had total faith in Ukraine fending off the Russian military and said: ‘Ukraine is our home. We believe in our people. We believe that our people are strong. We won’t lose.’