Ukrainian family who arrived in Australia two days ago listen to Zelensky address

A Ukrainian family who only touched down in Australia two days ago were in parliament to listen to Volodymyr Zelensky’s significant speech.

They only arrived in Australia two days ago after fleeing war-torn Ukraine, leaving behind their husbands and fathers after an incredible escape across the border to Poland.

But despite being exhausted from the 27-hour trip, Oksana Yablonska, her two daughters and their children were never going to miss watching Ukrainian president Volodmyr Zelensky address parliament in Canberra on Thursday.

“We are going through the same feelings as he said,” Oksana said through an interpreter, after watching President Zelensky’s monumental address to Australia.

“We’re with him but we thank God that we’re here.”

Oksana worked as a primary school teacher in Lviv, the largest city in Western Ukraine, while her eldest daughter Yaryna, 36, is a dentist and other daughter Yustyna, 31, is a nurse training to go into dentistry too.

They broke down when speaking about the life they had left behind. All three of their husbands have remained in Ukraine.

“Before the war we lived very well,” Oksana said.

“We had a good job, we all worked, we had a good life, we had lovely homes, we built our homes.”

Yaryna Yablonska with daughter Yana Mandziuk, four, mum Oksana Yablonska, sister Yustyna Yablonska and her son Zakharii Hrytsai. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

But that all changed after Russia’s invasion began on February 24.

“We saw Putin’s soldiers. It was scary, we were all scared stiff, the sirens were going,” Oksana said.

“We had to, all the time with the sirens, we had to collect the kids and go underground, it was at night or in the morning it just kept going.

“We took the children underneath and we didn’t know whether we were going to come out of this alive or not.”

They said that there were also people who had infiltrated their community who were helping the Russians.

“They were marking on the roads for the planes to see where they were going,” Yaryna said.

She said there were grenades on the road and they were scared that kids would kick them not knowing what they were.

The first time they tried to flee across the border they had to turn back because there was a 20km line of cars and after 15 hours the kids were too hungry and tired.

The second time they made a dash, about a month ago, they made it through in an hour.

“We feel safe, we feel free,” Oksana said.

They are staying with family in Canberra and came on tourist visas, but will change them over to humanitarian ones.

“We’re very happy with the help from family and to Australia for supporting us,” Oksana said.

But Yaryna said that it was still tough on the children, who are aged 11, four and eight.

“It is very difficult especially for children, every day they ask us ‘when can we meet our father’,” she said.

And the family had a message for Vladimir Putin.

“I’d like to tell him I hope you live through the things we’ve been living through,” Oksana said.

The family only arrived in Australia on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“We don’t want his nation to suffer like we do, but we want them to understand how he’s tricked the nation and is lying about what has happened.”

Australia agreed to provide further military assistance to support Ukraine on Thursday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a further $25m for defensive military assistance for the nation’s armed forces after a request from President Zelensky.

“Australia stands with Ukraine against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion,” Mr Morrison said.

The new $25m package will include tactical decoys, unmanned aerial and unmanned ground systems, rations and medical supplies.

This latest investment brings Australia’s total military assistance in the war to $116m.

Australia is also providing $65m in humanitarian assistance, 70,000 tonnes of thermal coal for Ukraine’s energy needs, as well as temporary protection visas and support for Ukrainian community groups in Australia.

In his address President Zelensky warned Australia of the future global impacts if Russia was allowed to continue its invasion in his country.

“We can surely say that there is now only one way of bringing global security and bringing Russia to peace and silence,” he said.

He accused Russia of “nuclear blackmail” and said more needs to be done to hold Moscow to account.

Originally published as Ukrainian family who arrived in Australia two days ago listen to Zelensky address