Brighton woman from Kyiv shares heartbreak at Russia invasion

Speaking to dozens of people at The Level in Brighton calling for peace as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, Kate told the crowd through tears of her anguish as her family hunker down in the capital as Russian troops and artillery fire come closer.

She said her family chose to stay in the capital to protect the country and that they regularly hear sirens blaring as Russia bombards the city and the nearby area.

• READ MORE: Student in desperate effort to save grandmother from Kyiv as Russia invades

"I have two brothers - one of which is five years old. Every night, he makes up stories of why he needs to go to the basement. He thinks it is thunder and he tries to calm himself down.

"Little children across Ukraine are trying to calm themselves with stories - about why their parents are not coming back and why they need to hide in places with no windows and stay in cold basements overnight.

"Every day I go to bed with the same thought that today at 4am my family might get attacked and I pray in the morning that I will see a message from them to say they are fine.

"I am terrified when I don’t see that message. Every minute longer that they don’t reply makes me more scared."

Kate addressing the crowds of protesters at The Level

Another protester - Sasha, from Russia - said that words could not describe how distraught she was by the invasion and that "the majority of Russian people do not want war."

"Putin is not our president, we did not elect him and we hope to one day be free of this evil dictator," she said.

Sasha also condemned the British government for not granting visas to Ukrainian citizens, while still sending weapons to Ukraine - "essentially forcing the population to fight and not to flee".

Crowds of people carried banners and flags to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine

The protest in Brighton was one of many held around the world to condemn Russian aggression, call for peace and demand that Western nations do more to help the Ukrainians as they face the largest war on European soil since the end of the Second World War.

MP for Brighton Kemptown Lloyd Russell-Moyle joined protesters and appealed for the British government to do more to support those fleeing the war-ravaged country.

Addressing the crowd, he said the city was united in the "abhorrence" of the invasion.

Kemptown MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle called on the government to do more to assist Ukrainian refugees

He said: "We should be in no doubt that we must stand up for the people of Ukraine, for Europe, and we must make sure that Putin does not get his way - whilst ensuring we do not escalate this war.

"It is an extremely difficult tightrope to tread but we must do it, because failure is unthinkable, both for Ukraine and for the future of our planet."

He also called on the government to accept Ukrainian refugees into the UK.

"Suggesting people can apply through the usual visa routes is not good enough and it is not acceptable."

One banner at the event called for Putin to keep his hands off Ukraine

In a statement read out at the event, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion Caroline Lucas said: "At this terrible time, we stand in solidarity with Ukraine and all those who do not accept Putin’s devastating assault on freedom and democracy.

"While the sanctions that have been imposed have been welcome, they have been too slow and too limited. That has to change."

The protest is set to be the first of several events in the city to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people, with a day-long vigil for peace planned on Wednesday at St Nicholas’ Church in Church Street.

Russian troops have drawn closer to Kyiv, a city of almost three million, with street fighting breaking out in Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv.

An apartment block in Kyiv after being hit by Russian shelling: credit - Kyiv City Council

President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian nuclear forces to be put on high alert in response to what he called "aggressive statements" by NATO members.

In televised comments, he said: "Western countries are not only taking unfriendly actions against our country in the economic sphere, but top officials from leading NATO members made aggressive statements regarding our country."

NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg condemned President Putin's behaviour as "irresponsible" and "dangerous rhetoric".