Town's Ukrainian community on four years of war
BBCFear, hope, and countless phone calls home - for Reading's Ukrainian community the four years since Russia's invasion have been a blur of emotion and compromise.
After the invasion, which began on 24 February 2022, there have been 5.9m Ukrainian refugees recorded globally, with around 264,000 of them living in the UK.
Some of the refugees from the country have built a community around the Reading Ukrainian Community Centre in Berkshire, that was first founded in 1958 by people fleeing the Soviet Union.
"When the war had just started I naively thought it would last maybe two, three weeks, then it would just blow over. Now that you say those words "four years" it just feels surreal," Iryna Bakaliar, who fled her home in Lviv when the war began, said.
"I see a victory in my dreams. Realistically, I see that some sort of a deal can be reached for now but I believe it will be like a pause before another phase starts. It doesn't look like Russia wants to stop at any point."
She added: "When you're pushed to your limit, that's when you learn how well you can cope under stress and pressure.
"I used to be much more materialistic about life. Now [I value] a good conversation, a good meal, a walk in nature. That's what I've learned about myself. My values have completely shifted."
In a conversation with the BBC on Monday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia has already started World War Three and the only answer to its force was further intense military and economic pressure.
Olena Ellis, a baker from Dnipro, also left Ukraine after the invasion.
"[It's been] A very, very difficult four years. I miss my family, I miss Ukraine," she said.
"Rockets attacked everyday. Every night, every day, I worry about my family. I call my papa, mama, my friend, my sister.
"I call and talking about how I can support them in this crazy situation."
