Ukraine war: 'I sat in class wondering if my parents were dead'

A Ukrainian teenager at school in Cumbria has told how she sat in class not knowing if her parents were still alive in her homeland.

Diana, 14, from near Kyiv but studying at St Bees, said her aunt also sent photographs of bombs "flying in the sky" near to her home.

She was unable to contact her mother every day so could only go to classes and wonder what was happening to her.

"It's unreal to sit in physics and think your parents are dead," she said.

Diana has joined two other Ukrainian pupils at the independent boarding school to set up a collection for donations.

"I felt helpless," she told BBC Radio Cumbria.

"I thought that I can't help and if I will message and call my mum every day she will be annoyed with me.

"My aunt sent me photos of bombs that were flying in the sky near her house and I was really shocked and scared because they are sitting in a basement".

Her classmate Maria, also 14, said her mother had joined other volunteer groups in her home city making Molotov cocktails as part of the defence from Russian troops.

"She likes to do it because she knows she is doing something," she said.

"It is really difficult at first because you feel helpless but everyone is trying to do their best to help the country and people who are in a worse situation.

"My family are fine, they are in my city, it's safe. It's better than other cities but not completely OK."

Twelve-year-old Ahafiia said her dad, who remains in Ukraine, has been donating cars to the country's army "trying to help".

"We are here in school trying to do the best that we can," she said.

The school, where a third of students are from outside the UK, launched a collection a week ago to assemble care packages for refugees fleeing the war and for those trapped in Ukraine.

It has gathered so many goods it has had to borrow a larger vehicle from Sellafield to transfer it to a Polish-run reception centre in Cleator Moor, which will be taken to the Poland-Ukraine border.

Head teacher Robin Silk said the school had received "endless offers" from people in Cumbria to look after the girls over the school holidays.

"We have had a lot of pastoral care being delivered to keep them on track, what has really helped them is this appeal, because they have been fully involved making things," he said.

"They have been so excited and so heartened to see this huge amount of stuff that has been delivered on behalf of Ukraine.

"I think that has endeared them to this country, it has endeared them to the school more and more, and their parents are absolutely delighted."

Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].