'We want freedom and we want peace'

"We want freedom and we want peace," said 11-year-old Liza, from St Mary's Ukrainian School Choir in London.

She spoke following a performance at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Westminster to mark the three-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"I have the power to tell the story of children," she said. "I really want to see my bedroom again.

"We want this cruel, frightening war to stop."

Liza recalled the moment she came to the UK, having fled the war.

"It was really frightening and scary," she said. "You enter a new country without learning any of the language.

"It was a really big change for me. But now everything is good. Our family have many friends and I feel really comfortable here."

Arina, 13, also from the school's choir, said that children in Ukraine needed a "normal childhood".

"This day is really hard. It's a day when we can remind people that there is still a war in Ukraine. Children in Ukraine need peace."

She also spoke of her arrival in the UK.

"It was really hard for me," she said. "When you're younger, it's hard because you left your friends and you just moved to another country, but it's easier to learn a new language and adapt to a new country.

"But when you're older, you understand that you haven't just left your friends and family. You left, and you'll be safe, but your family members and your friends will be in danger.

"That's much harder to understand."

Arina added: "Maybe one day I will go back and just help to restore the country."

The interfaith service on Monday welcomed several Ukrainian community ambassadors, MPs, members of the House of Lords and other civil leaders.

Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski said it was a challenging day.

"It's hard for me to believe," he said. "It's saddening and it's shocking... passing this third anniversary."

Nataliya Vitiv, from Ukrainian Community Centre East London, said she prayed for peace in Ukraine and the rest of the world.

"Today is three years since the war has started, and it's very hard for us because many young people died," she said.

Ms Vitiv said she had been living in the UK for eight years but still had family in Ukraine.

"Many friends are fighting, defending Ukraine, so it's not easy for us. But we pray and we wish that the war will stop soon, and we will be happy again."

She told BBC London about phone calls from her mother, who is in Ukraine, during which she could hear noise from the war, and was told of people hiding in shelters.

"It is not easy," she said. "I call them every day. We support them, we send them help and kind words.

"Even when we are far from them, our heart is there."

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