"I had a perfect life in Ukraine" - Ukrainians in Birmingham on three years since Russian invasion
14-year-old Veronika lives in Northfield with her sister and niece
Last updated 24th Feb 2025
Ukrainian nationals living in the West Midlands have been telling us what life has been like here since Russia invaded their home country.
Today marks three years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
14-year-old Veronika is one of the 1.2 million people who fled the country.
She now lives in Birmingham with her older sister, Lena, and niece, Melania.
She tells us about starting a new life in the UK.
"Before the war,\ I had a perfect life in Ukraine.
"But then when bombs started to fly over my head, everything changed.
"It's very difficult to switch to another culture, another school, another language. I have been struggling with this in the last three years."
Veronika says she enjoys school now.
"I really like my school - it's really nice and the teachers are very nice.
"I've found some friends who are really nice people so I really like it."
She still maintains a strong connection to her home culture and plays piano in a Ukrainian orchestra.
"It's like a little community. Every Sunday I go to the orchestra.
"We play Ukrainian songs so we can share this lovely music with the world."
She says it's helped her settle into life in the UK.
"I still have Ukrainian friends so I continue my Ukrainian language and it feels kind on your soul when you have something that's yours in a different country."
Kateryna Petrova also came to Birmingham from Ukraine in 2022 with her two children.
She tells us the impact the war continues to have on them.
"It was very stressful for them to move from Kiev, and now it will be another stress to return."
She says it wouldn't be easy to return to Ukraine now as so much has changed.
"My children have lost their friends in Ukraine because almost everyone has moved."
Kateryna's husband still lives and works in Ukraine.
Since the war started, over 1 million people are estimated to have lost their lives in the conflict.