'This could be us': Polish florist in Kilkeel continues fundraising for Ukraine one year on

A Kilkeel florist is urging the public in Northern Ireland to keep Ukraine in their thoughts following the one-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of the country.

Sylvia Lis comes from Poland and has a business in the coastal Co Down town.

She has been working tirelessly to help her motherland's nearest neighbours in Ukraine since images emerged of tanks and choppers taking over last March, and has sent two-dozen lorry loads of donations costing tens of thousands of pounds to the war-zone in the last year.

At least 100,000 soldiers from Ukraine and Russia are estimated to have been killed or injured, thousands of civilians have died and more than 13million people have been made refugees or displaced inside Ukraine.

Florist Sylvia told UTV what motivated her to give assistance along with the Honorary Polish Consulate in Newry, Jerome Mullen.

"Because I felt that this could be us," she said, "and whenever this happened, I thought, we could be next.

"Those poor people needed our help badly.

"A Russian state invaded Ukraine many, many years ago. It wasn't just last year. The whole war started many years ago, but I felt like if we don't do something for them, they're going to die there.

"Also, on a personal level because we have lots of friends there from uni, from childhood, from just, you know, being neighbours for so many years.

"I was very upset and very stressed because you are automatically thinking, what about us? What about my family?"

Sylvia said that the passage of time will understandably have an impact on people's charitable priorities but urged anyone who can, to keep thinking of Ukraine.

She especially worries for the poorest and most vulnerable left behind, as many who had the means have already fled.

"Maybe not as much forgot, but immune, because as you say it has been so long, a year now, there are a lot of other things happening like the crisis in the country here.

"Now, with Syria and Turkey, those people need help badly as well.

"But the war, Ukraine is not just fighting for themselves.

"We have to remember that they're fighting for freedom, for the whole world, for Europe, for us.

"So, yes, I would like to still ask for money, especially now.

"I know the cost of fuel and everything risen up so much, and we are not sending as many lorries as we would love to, but we would rather I ask for money donations so we can buy food and so we can buy all the necessary products that they're asking for, to send those requests from Ukraine."

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