Cambridge mum's 'wonderful and surreal' reunion with Ukrainian best friend after hunger strike

• Watch a full report from Matthew Hudson.

A mum from Cambridge has been reunited with her best friend from Ukraine - a month after she went on hunger strike to campaign for her visa.

Rend Platings, who also painted her home in the colours of the Ukrainian flag, spent 21 days on hunger strike last month in protest at visa delays.

But on Sunday (May 1) at her home in Cambridge she was reunited with Kristina Korniiuk, who was eventually granted a visa under the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme.

"For me it feels really, really wonderful," said Ms Platings. "It's a little bit surreal. And it's kind of quite hard to believe.

"But you know what, I've always wanted her to come and to show her Cambridge.

"It's just a shame it was in this situation, but on balance we're happier that she's safe. And I think it's just the right thing to do for her.

"I hope that she'll be able to make the most out of it and find that she makes friends over here and that she, instead of losing her country, she kind of gains another community that she can become close to.

"Then hopefully we'll all be able to visit her back in Ukraine when this is all over."

Ms Korniiuk, 34, stayed in Kyiv for the first three weeks of the Russian invasion before moving to the west of the country.

Her parents, grandfather and other family members are still in Kyiv, while her brother is working for the military.

She said while she is happy to be in England she would prefer if it was under better circumstances.

"To tell you the truth I'm too tired to be feeling anything," she said.

"Well it's a curious mixture of feelings - sadness, tiredness.

"Don't get me wrong, I was happy, but it's been more than 24 hours now, and it's been a bus, then a train, then a sleepless night at the airport, then a plane here, then an hour drive from the airport."

She said she is worried about her family in the Ukrainian capital, but realises it was her parents' choice to stay there.

She added: "I tried really hard to convince them. Well I mean we are all adults and we have responsibilities for our lives, so they decided to stay and I couldn't convince them."

Ms Platings, who has an eight-year-old daughter called Samantha, said she wants her friend to rest up and is then looking forward to her having a "sanctuary" and "some kind of normality".

The pair, who have been friends for three years after meeting in a restaurant, last saw each other at the beginning of February.