Northamptonshire sisters' emotional reunion with family who fled Ukraine

• Watch a video report by ITV News Anglia's Sophie Wiggins

Two sisters have been finally reunited with family who fled the war in Ukraine after what they called "mission impossible" to get them safely to Britain.

Slava Trach and her sister Valentina Potter from Northamptonshire had been desperately trying to get visas for their other sister Anna Reznichenk, and her two children aged 10 and five. She had to leave her husband behind.

Even on the day they were still unsure whether Ms Reznichenk would actually make the flight bound for Luton Airport.

But after a nervous wait, the family were reunited at the arrivals gate of the airport on Tuesday evening, with the sisters unable to hold back the tears of joy.

Days ago, Ms Trach said she had felt guilt at hearing her own children laughing because she knew of the suffering thousands of others were going through in her home country.

After being reunited Mrs Potter told ITV News Anglia that the system desperately needed overhauling.

"We are getting our family here, [but] we are also happy to help other refugees who are not family," she said.

"But currently it has been an uphill struggle just to get closest family in. Other refugees, what chance do they stand when we are struggling to get our own families in?

"Some humanity needs to be shown by the British government."

Ms Reznichenk fled Ukraine with her two children a week ago but the family said they faced days of visa trouble.

She told ITV News Anglia that before flying to Luton her family had spent nights waiting for sirens to sound and hiding in bunkers. 

"We go down underground, and sit here two or three hours. It's not very good because it's cold and damp and the children are scared, I'm lucky because I have family and can live here for some time," she said.

She hopes to return home to her husband and her city eventually, though it has already been severely damaged by Russian bombing.

For sisters Ms Trach and Mrs Potter, the next mission is to bring more of their family here from Poland and to continue helping some of the millions of other refugees.

"Obviously there's 44 million people in Ukraine" said Ms Trach. "I think I will say for all of the Ukrainians that right now we have a family of 44 million, every Ukrainian has a family of 44 million.

"In this situation we are all family."