'This is very painful': Waterford Ukrainian says her Russian family don't believe war is happening

'They say it’s fake even though we send them videos of our city being destroyed' Tramore-based Olena Pidoprygora says

Tramore-based Olena Pidoprygora’s flag bears the signatures of volunteers and their battalions which they sent to Waterford’s Ukrainian community in 2015.

A Ukrainian woman living in Co Waterford has said her family has been ripped apart by the war, as relatives in Russia “refuse to believe” the war is even taking place.

Olena Pidoprygora said it has brought “pain” for her family, as she said propaganda has resulted in them being at a standoff over whether “explosions we see reported are even real — they don’t believe any of it could really be happening and think it’s all lies”.