How Greater Manchester threw its arms around the people of Ukraine PLUS Further call for TPE to be stripped of contract
Keep up to date with all the big stories from across Greater Manchester in the daily Mancunian Way newsletter. You can receive the newsletter direct to your inbox every weekday by signing up right here.A year on from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there are many Ukrainians who have made a new home in Greater Manchester. Our reporters have been speaking to them about how life has changed and their hopes for their future.
As he writes: “The region has always stood firm with Ukraine and its people. And within just 24 hours of the first Russian missiles falling - many indiscriminately hitting schools and hospitals - Manchester found its collective voice and has continued to shout loudly in support of the war-torn country and against the Russian government ever since.”
"At the building we had an [underground] floor without any communication. It was just a room without anything, but we hid there. The alarm went off every two hours - in the daytime, at night, all the time. Lots of explosions. It was really scary, especially the first night because Russia came to Kyiv.
"I like the people here," she told reporter Stephen Topping. "They're very polite and smiley, it's a nice place. Every place is nice if there's no explosions and alarms." When she woke on the night of February 24, her Mancunian partner Jez Myers told her bombs were dropping. "I couldn't really grasp what was happening. I went on Twitter and saw multiple reports,” she says.
Maria now lives with Jez in Reddish and runs walking tours of Manchester, talks at events and works as an interpreter to help those settling in the UK. Among those Sean met was Valera, who was caring for his beloved, shell-shocked dog Bars following the bombardment of his town by Russian forces. “One year on from the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the needs in that country are huge,” MAG chief executive Darren Cormack says. “The use of heavy artillery, landmines and cluster munitions, both in rural and populated areas, is creating a devastating and deadly legacy that will threaten the lives and livelihoods of ordinary citizens for years to come. This funding will enable us to support communities facing the devastating consequences of war on a daily basis.
'Apologise for what you've done to the Northern economy’ TransPennine Express should be stripped of its contract immediately, Labour’s shadow transport secretary says. Speaking earlier at the conference, government Rail Minister Huw Merriman said TPE services were not good enough but whoever took over services ‘is going to end up in the exact same situation because the situation is underlying reform’.
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