Trim woman's fear for family in Ukraine

Heartbreak and anger were the overwhelming emotions in the Healy home in Trim when the Russian tanks starting rolling into Ukraine yesterday.

Luba Healy, who has lived in Ireland for 22 years, is extremely worried for her mother and grandmother who live in central Ukraine.

"We were also terribly worried for my nephew who was in Odessa yesterday," she says.

However, he managed to get out of the Black Sea coastal city, which came under heavy fire yesterday, and was making his way to the Moldovan border and hopefully to Ireland.

Luba, who is married to local businessman, Eugene Healy said while it was well known what Russia had been planning, the actual news yesterday that they had invaded was devastating.

"My 70 year old mother and 98 year old grandmother are there and I am terrified for them. I speak to them several times a day and although they haven't heard any explosions yet, I am very worried for them."

Heartbreakingly, Luba's mother told her that while she had lived her life, she was upset because she wanted more time with her grandchildren.

Luba's Mum and Granny live in Haivoron, the town in central Ukraine where Luba grew up. It is three hours from Odessa and five hours from Kyiv.

My Granny lived on the same street as us when I was growing u. She now lives with my Mum.

"We visited last August, Nana wasn't well and we had a surprise baby which we wanted her to meet."

Luba says her mother would never come to Ireland to visit for any significant length of time because of caring for Luba's grandmother.

Apart from Luba's devastation and fear for her own family, she is heart- broken for her country.

"The young people will have no future there. Everyone is tryng to maintain a normal life, but the young people of Ukraine will fight.

"The younger generation have been buying ammunition and the people of Ukraine will not give up easily. They don't want to leave and start from scratch again.

"It is unbelievable that this is happening in 2022, that one man can do this. Nothing good can come of war," she says.