A UKRAINIAN family who lives in Taunton is sending military and medical help to their home country to support civilians in the conflict with Russia.

Vitaliy Dolynskyy and Mariana Dolynska are sending military equipment and medical aid to Ukraine with the help of their country’s embassy in London.

When the conflict broke out after the invasion on Thursday, February 24, the family decided that even if they “can’t fight, we can still do something for them”.

Vitaliy said: “At the moment I need professional equipment, helmets, bullet-proof jackets, body armor, uniforms, shoes, and first aid kits.

“The army is ok, but we need these for residents. They have been given machine guns for territorial defence and we need to support them.”

Vitaliy works in the IT trading business and his wife Mariana, who comes from a family of doctors, is training to be a GP.

They have been living in Taunton for a year and they are from the area of Lviv, which is based in the western part of Ukraine, where their families, relatives, and friends still live now.

The couple explained how civilians are resisting and how difficult it is to face every day knowing relatives and friends could be in danger.

They said: “We are a peaceful country, they came to our land and we have to protect it and Ukrainians are not going to give up, they are going to fight to the death.”

Mariana said: “My parents refused to come here and I can’t think about anything else besides what’s happening to my relatives.

“They came here a month ago and I let them go and now they don’t want to come back.

“They are doctors so they think they can help there. My dad said, ‘I am not going to leave my house and my land. I can be more useful here and provide shelter’.

“ ‘We have been living here all our lives, why would I give up?’ ”

“Our little daughter is four and she asks where her grandma is and how she is. When she speaks to her, she asks her to show her the window so she can see Putin is not there.

“I can’t imagine how it feels to explain to children in Ukraine what is going on. A lot of friends of mine sent their relatives and children to safer areas and went back to their cities to fight.

“I have messages every morning and I am scared of the news and of losing connection [with family and friends from Ukraine].

“I am heartbroken, and I can’t function normally. Our lives have stopped because of this but everyone is very supportive at work. They all understand, and they are very supportive.”

The couple also explained how they think their country is “more united now” and also said Russian troops damaged towns and cities but “they are not going forward”.

Vitaliy, who works in the IT trading business, also added: “We need help from NATO to protect the sky. The morale is so high in the army, and we are not going to give up our land.”

Vitaly will send some of the equipment and medical aid tomorrow, Tuesday, March 1 but is still looking for help.

Anyone wishing to help can contact Vitaliy on 07399899777 or by email, vitaliydolynskyy@yahoo.co.uk