British-Ukrainian man describes 'big shock' of waking up to Russia invasion
'It's still a big shock to see that he's gone through with it', Dan Zenchuk tells ITV News
A British-Ukrainian man living in Peterborough says members of his community are "lost for words" as Russia continues with their invasion today.
Dan Zenchuk, 37, who was born in the UK and has family living in Ukraine, has described how he felt when he woke up this morning to the news that Russia had launched a "full-scale invasion".
He told ITV News: "I think at every step of this you think that it is just going to be words and that he's just posturing and seeing what the rest of the world is going to do, particularly the US.
"So when you wake up even though there was warnings there last night it's still a big shock to see that he's gone through with it.
"For some of us who have only just recently moved from Ukraine, they've got very immediate family there."
Mr Zenchuk said: "And I mean we saw the emotion earlier in the week, for some of the community in Peterborough.
"I can only imagine how it is for some of them today."
Mr Zenchuk is currently training for a 152-mile, six-day walk to raise money for families in east Ukraine.
He will start in Uppingham, Rutland on 28 March before heading to Kettering (Northamptonshire), Rugby (Warwickshire), Ashby de la Zouch (Leicestershire), Ilkeston (Derbyshire), Newark (Nottinghamshire), and finally Empingham (Rutland) on 2 April.
The daily distance will vary from 15 miles (24 kilometres) to 36 miles (58 kilometres) a day, he said.
The money raised will be used to provide humanitarian aid through the Support Ukraine UK Appeal.
What's happening in Ukraine?
Sirens have been heard across the capital, Kyiv, with explosions heard on the outskirts of the city and reports of shelling in the north, south and east of the country.
Shelling has been reported in Kharkiv, Dnipro and Mariupol.
Radar at Dnipro airport, towards the east, has been hit by two rockets but remains intact, according to ITV News Correspondent Dan Rivers, who is on the ground in Ukraine.
Reports suggest Russian planes are attacking Gostomel airbase, which is around 15 minutes from the edge of Kyiv.