- Jane Morgan
- BBC Wales
Natalia communicates with Julia as often as possible to support her friend in difficult times
Hearing that her friend’s children were drinking rainwater from puddles, Natalia Roberts decided to give them shelter at her home in Wales.
Julia and her three daughters (11, six and three years old) were trapped in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol.
After their house was destroyed by Russian bombs, Julia and her children had to hide in a basement without a toilet, shower or electricity.
“We had a small plate [of soup] for three children every day,” says Julia. “And one glass of water.”
“The children were constantly asked to eat, so she tried to feed them at bedtime so they wouldn’t fall asleep hungry,” said Natalia, who is watching what is happening in Ukraine from her home in north Wales.
Photo by Yuliia
The video on my mother’s phone was a little comforting for the baby in the basement
“When it rained, they ran out and drank from the puddle, and the water was incredibly delicious. Then they found a few pots to stock up.”
But there was a critical shortage of fresh water, and Julia had to leave the children and go looking for a source or well.
Photo by Yuliia
Photo by Yuliia
A few months ago, Julia and her family enjoyed life
“The nearest well was three kilometers away. We had to run there under fire,” Yulia recalled in a video diary for the BBC Wales Investigates program.
And when the middle daughter fell ill, there was nothing to treat her.
“I had money, but I couldn’t buy anything because there was nothing anywhere, everything was broken, looted and destroyed,” she said.
Since the beginning of March, the port city of Mariupol has been surrounded by Russian troops
Photo by Yuliia
Julia had to hide in the basement after their apartment in Mariupol was destroyed by Russian bombs
Julia and Natalia, who got married five years ago and moved from Ukraine to Wales, were close friends from school and always kept in touch – until the war in Ukraine.
For several days, and sometimes weeks, Julia did not get in touch. From time to time, she dumped videos of Natalia from a bomb shelter where she and her daughters hid while her husband fought on the front lines.
Photo by Yuliia
Photo by Yuliia
Julia and her girls are among the 11 million Ukrainians forced to flee their homes. They fled from Mariupol under almost constant shelling.
They are now in Poland, and Natalia is doing her best to help Julia and her family get refugee status in Wales.
Mariupol, which was under siege in early March, is almost entirely under Russian control, except for the Azovstal metallurgical plant, which is held by a group of Ukrainian fighters.
Russian forces have blocked a large industrial complex and continue to bomb it from the air.
According to the mayor, the Russians killed more than 20,000 Mariupol residents, another 100,000 cannot leave due to the actions of the Russian army.
Natalia Roberts with her mother, who also left Mariupol
“In Mariupol, she saw people who died from missile strikes. They had no arms or legs,” says Natalia.
“I wish Julia was here in Wales. She dreamed we would have tea together in our dining room and they could live better.”
Thousands of Britons offered food and shelter to refugees from Ukraine.
86,000 Ukrainians have issued British visas. About 27,000 have already arrived in the UK, and Wales has said it wants to be a haven for those fleeing the horrors of war in their homeland.
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