‘We dream of peace’: Ukrainians in UK spend Christmas divided from loved ones after year of war

Seven-year-old Ukrainian spending his first Christmas in the UK hopes his letters to Santa will be answered

Ukrainians in the UK face their first Christmas separated from loved ones as they are kept apart by Russia’s war.

Refugees who have fled Vladimir Putin’s deadly invasion have shared their hopes for a more peaceful 2023 as the conflict heads toward its first anniversary in February.

Despite usually celebrating Christmas on January 7 – as determined by the Orthodox Church – Kateryna Chebizhak, 34, who works as a telephone interpreter, and her seven-year-old son Kolya, are planning on spending December 25 with friends who live near them in Enfield, North London.