Northampton business owner says Ukraine forces 'don't stand a chance' as sister's home 'rocked' by bombings

A Northampton business owner has said that Ukraine forces "don't stand a chance" as she fears for family members still in the country.

The powerful statement comes after Russian military forces launched a full invasion on Ukraine on Thursday morning (February 24) in what Prime Minister Boris Johnson called a "hideous and barbaric venture" that has "unleashed war in our European continent".

In mere days the Russians have come within reach of Ukraine's capital city Kiev, leaving the fate of the country's 41.46 million people gravely uncertain. All this while Vladimir Putin, Russia's president, promises the "greatest consequences in history" should other countries intervene.

Valentina Potter, 40, who is the director of Northampton's Riverside Hub and employer of 137 people, has many family members still living in Ukraine.

She said that her sister, who lives near a large Ukrainian military base, was "rocked" by explosions from Russian attacks at around 6am on Friday (February 25) in which they "bombed the hell out of it".

The business founder fears that if the country falls, "patriotic" Ukrainians could face similar oppression to that seen under the rule of the communist USSR, which Russia used to be called. However she also conceded that a swift defeat for Ukraine might, tragically, be the best outcome.

Mrs Potter said: "I think Russia is at the point where it's trying to be big and bad again. We were expecting them to attack ever since they took Crimea and were allowed to get away with it.

"We don't know what will happen. But I think Russia is going to swallow Ukraine and do so quickly. And I hope that they do it quickly as well, because there are a lot of people that want to fight, including people I went to school with. When Russian forces came to the border, people had to queue for days to enroll in the army.

"But I also know they don't stand a chance. The longer fighting goes on for, the more people will die.

"To me, it's a question of 'do you want to be made to speak Russian, have a Russian passport and pay more taxes', or 'do you want to be dead'?

"My sister's husband is in his 30s, as are some of my relatives, and I'm afraid they won't see next week.

"No one cares about Ukraine because it is a little independent country that's not a part of the European Union or NATO. Putin has threatened 'consequences' if anyone tries to stop him and that probably means nuclear war.

"I think he wants to get into the history books and if he has to write them with war and destruction, I think he will because he just does not care."

Should Ukraine fall in the wake of Russia's forces, which in some areas outnumber the Ukrainians' ten-to-one, Valentina said that the UK should be ready to accept Ukrainians as they flee the "persecution" that she fears will follow.

She said: "The best thing we can do is evacuate as many Ukrainians as we can who are going to be slaughtered and oppressed and let them come here to work and be safe.

"If I had a way to evacuate my family here, I would support them in my home for as long as it took them to get back on their feet. I wouldn't ask for a handout and it would not be for long because they are all very hard working.

"Ukrainians are very hard working people who believe in Christian religion. If there was a mass migration of Ukrainians to this part of the world, I think the UK would be lucky to have them."

The war in Ukraine is ongoing and NATO is deploying more troops to Eastern Europe.