Ukrainian journalist on Russian 'kill list' hopes for Visa to live with partner from Manchester

ITV Granada Reports correspondent Elaine Willcox has the story.

A Ukrainian journalist who hopes to secure a UK visa to be with her partner has said her name is on a Russian 'kill list'.

The United States revealed that it had "credible information" that Russian forces are creating lists of Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps in the event of occupation.

Maria Romanenko, and her boyfriend Jez Myers, who is from Manchester, were forced to flee Kyiv as Russian forces began a full-scale invasion of the country.

They are now taking refuge at a friend's house in Warsaw, in Poland, after making the "terrifying" 23-hour journey across the border from war-torn Ukraine.

Maria said they chose to leave her beloved homeland because of her profession as a journalist - and the Russian government's so-called 'kill list'.

She told ITV Granada Reports: "There is a kill list created by the Russian government of everybody they want to kill when they take over the government in Ukraine and that includes Ukrainian journalists and activists.

"Basically that's every Ukrainian journalist, because very few of them are pro-Putin, so that would put me under huge risk."

Meanwhile, the rest of Maria's family remain in Ukraine, with her father close enough to Kyiv that he can see and hear shelling going on in the city.

Her brother cannot leave the country because he is between the age of 18 and 60.

Men between these age brackets have been told by their government that they cannot leave Ukraine and must stay and fight.

Maria's brother is living in a small town with his wife and Maria's mum for their safety.

The couple now face an anxious wait to see if Maria's UK visa is accepted, but Jez says he will not return to his home city unless she is allowed to come with him.

At first it was announced that Ukrainians who live or are settled in the UK would be able to bring over their immediate relatives.

That included their spouses, children, and if the person is under 18 - their parents - but did not include siblings, adult children or grandparents.

Jez has described the UK's initial reaction to granting Ukrainian people visas as "weak" and has called on the government to "do a lot more" to help those fleeing the country.

"If you don't fall into the criteria it's an absolute nightmare", Jez said. "We were advised by the FCBO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) to apply for a visitors' visa.

"Maria applied for the visitors' visa and was told it would be a minimum of six weeks to hear back. It's just been a very slow and very poor response."

Maria and Jez say they have been met with compassion by the Polish people, but says the UK government is being "pushed and shamed into having to do the bare minimum."

The Home Secretary Priti Patel has announced an extra 100,000 Ukrainians will be allowed to "seek sanctuary" in the UK for the next 12 months, but not everyone fleeing the invasion will automatically be permitted entry over security fears.

Making the statement in the House of Commons on Monday, 28 February, said anyone with immediate families in the UK would be allowed to live in the UK, even if they do not qualify under current immigration system, so long as they pass security checks.

She told MPs they will have "permission to enter the UK outside the rules for 12 months" but she stopped short of totally relaxing the rules for all Ukrainians, as the EU had already done.