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” on 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”.

Speaking while clutching her national flag, covered in signatures of volunteers from the 2014 conflict in her native Donbas region, she said it is as if Russian relatives have been “brainwashed” by disinformation campaigns.

“Unfortunately this is very painful. When we try to say to relatives in Russia what their government is doing – that they are invading Ukraine and they have to know about it – they don’t believe us.

“They were brainwashed for so many years that they just can’t process the information. They say it’s fake even though we send them videos of our city being destroyed.

“They say it’s not Russians doing it – it must be Ukrainians. It all gets twisted.”

Restrictions have tightened on media in Russia since war broke out, with a crackdown on independent media and foreign news providers under a new law criminalising intentionally spreading “fake” news about the war.

Many international news organisations have since removed or temporarily suspended their operations in Russia. The BBC and others are continuing their Russian reporting from outside the country. 

This has removed alternative sources of information for people in Russia, leaving it in the hands of Russian media like RT and TASS.

Olena said there are “so many witnesses” and people who “paid with their life”, but still relations firmly believe that reports of the Russian army’s actions are lies.

“Ukraine doesn’t need war. It just needs defence at the moment and I hope people in Ireland and around the world can see that,” she said.

“They say they watch their news and cannot accept anything, we have just stopped trying (to convince them).”

She said she is unsure whether bans on news sources such as RT, as has happened here, are correct, and hopes people can actually check the information they receive.

Olena, who has been living in Tramore for over 20 years and works in biopharma, said relations view Russian president Vladimir Putin as a “demi-god” who is “too clever” to order the acts reported over the past fortnight.

She brings the flag with her to solitary demonstrations in Waterford, and explained that it was donated by volunteer fighters after Waterford’s Ukrainian community held a concert to raise funds to help clothe them in 2015.

Some of those people are now dead, she said.She comes from Kramatorsk, a city in the eastern part of the country.

Her 80-year-old mother has remained in the country but it has been hard to keep in contact with her, due failing phone and internet connections.

“She told me she was born there and would die there. The journey for her to get out is not so easy for someone her age though I try to be brave but I don’t know if she will be alive tomorrow.”

Her sister has been living in Kyiv, where she was running a dancing school before the war, and was intent on staying, but she decided to flee after the Russian assault intensified.

“My heart is crying, I hope they can be safe. It’s my war as well, I can’t stay inside and say it’s not my business.”