Shrewsbury woman's fears for charity colleague sheltering on Ukrainian front line
A Shrewsbury woman is "overwhelmingly concerned" for a friend and colleague who has stayed in a besieged Ukrainian city to look after animals in need.
Young mother Natalie Sorokopud is living in a cellar under her home in Kharkiv, on the front line of the Russian invasion, with her baby and a coterie of pets and other animals that she has been looking after for the charity Naturewatch Foundation.
The charity's campaign manager, Kate Parker, lives in Bomere Heath, near Shrewsbury.
She said: "I am overwhelmingly concerned for Natalie and her small baby - but also immensely proud of what she has been doing.
"Since Covid we've been having weekly Teams meetings - and only recently I was talking to Natalie about the best way to comfort animals during fireworks."
Miss Parker said that her friend was the "purest example of how much more good there is in the world than bad."
Kharkiv is in the north east of Ukraine, close to the Russian border, and has been one of the large cities targeted in the first week of the invasion.
Former police officer Mark Randall manages the charity's police training programme for Ukraine.
He has had some intermittent contact with his colleague, who has carried out contract work running spay and neutering programmes for the charity for 10 years.
"I get very concerned if I don't hear from her for 24 hours," said Mark. "She has wanted to stay to carry out her work."
Mark said Natalie lives on the outskirts of the city, and most of the attacks have happened in the centre of Kharkiv.
"But residential areas are being hit."
He added that Natalie is so committed to her work that even though there is difficulty getting bread, and power supplies are intermittent, she goes out when it gets quieter to help animals.
"I can't speak of Natalie highly enough," said Mark. "She is so passionate and dedicated and wants to stay."
