'We never wanted to leave Ukraine - I fled the war to save my children'

Nataliia Kirichuk pictured in Burton Street with Phil Balding, who has given her family a home in Melton

The tears flowed as 37-year-old Nataliia described the pain of having to leave behind her husband, mother and sister.

She worries about their safety back home with the war still raging but says she had to seek sanctuary for her sons, seven-year-old Yehor and Daniil (17).

They are now living with Melton residents Phil and Karen Balding, who were moved by the family’s plight.

The ruins of Nataliia's family home after it was destroyed by a Russian rocket last year

Nataliia told the Melton Times: “We never wanted to leave Ukraine - we didn’t want to run away.

“I fled the war to save my children.”

Before the full scale invasion, they all enjoyed a happy family life in the town of Dergachi, to the west of Ukraine and close to the border with Russia.

Everything changed in February last year when that region came under heavy bombardment.

Yehor and his mum Nataliia asleep in the basement while the war rages above them in Ukraine

Nataliia and her boys made a nerve-shredding nine-hour drive across Ukraine to safer areas in the east, when she recalls ‘the sweat was running down my arms and Yehor was crying’.

They were safe and living with a friend in Poland when devastating news came through that a rocket had smashed into the house they owned. Fortunately Nataliia’s husband, Alex, was not there at the time, having gone to live with a relative two days before.

“Thank God we were not there at the time - it was the worst news of my life. We lost everything except our cars, which we had with us,” said Nataliia.

Before escaping to Poland the family spent several ‘cold and scary’ winter nights in the basement.

Nataliia, Yehor and Daniil with Phil and Karen at a local cafe

Nataliia recalled: “There were 18 of us down there and four of them were children.

“Under-fire, my husband and I went out to get food for everyone in the basement.

“We were not supposed to go outside because of the heavy bombardment from Russian aircraft but we needed to eat.”

A neighbour died when their house was also hit by a rocket and, she says, another neighbour was killed by soldiers when he approached a tank, although they did not witness this.

Yehor and Daniil pictured on a recent trip to London and (right) a few years ago with mum Nataliia back home in Ukraine

“Alex brought a grandmother who lived near us to our basement because she couldn’t walk but she died - her heart could not stand it,” she said.

Nataliia and the boys were in Poland for 14 months before deciding to head back to Ukraine, with fighting not as intense as it was.

Before going, though, they were made aware that Phil and Karen were willing to give them a temporary home in Melton.

While the documents were prepared they went back to Ukraine to see family members before setting off for a safer life with the Baldings.

It is hoped that Yehor will attend The Grove Primary School and Daniil hopes to study at the Brooksby campus of SMB College Group.

“Philip and Karen do so much for us and Melton is a nice town to live in,” Nataliia added.

“I want to study English and find a job so I can provide for my boys here.”