MP reveals air raid fears during Ukraine visit

An MP has spoken of the fear he experienced after he was caught up in three air raids during a visit to war-torn Ukraine.

David Burton-Sampson, Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh, visited Ukraine for a five-day trip with other UK delegates last month.

It has been three years since Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered his army to forcefully cross the border and invade neighbouring Ukraine.

Mr Burton-Sampson said he had "nothing but respect and admiration for the Ukrainian people," adding: "It was just two nights - these people have been going through this for three years now and they have to go into shelters night after night."

Mr Burton-Sampson travelled to Ukraine as part of a UK delegation, organised by the Leeds Central and Headingley MP Alex Sopel, the UK Friends of Ukraine and B4NZ—Bankers for Net Zerohas.

The Essex MP has made a video diary of his trip for BBC Politics East.

"When you're not used to this kind of stuff, it was disconcerting, even when you hear the sirens and that whole sense of doom as it goes off - it is quite scary," the MP said.

He said the first air raid was on 23 February and explained: "I had to go into the shelter at 22:30 at night, the air raid finished at 01:30 - went back up to bed in the hotel room and then it kicked off again at 04:00.

"At this stage there were not just drones, it was missiles.

"I've got to be honest, at this point it was really quite concerning because I heard a explosion outside - you don't know what's going on."

He told the Commons on his return that the people of Ukraine "just keep functioning as though it is normal life".

He said many Ukrainians slept in the shelter at the start of the night with their children so they could ensure their safety without getting disturbed.

"Many of them don't bother going now, they just take their chances because it's every single night and you can't imagine the impact that is having on people's mental health," he added.

During his trip, Mr Burton-Sampson said he saw for himself people in hospital with life-changing injuries.

He told the Commons: "A massive mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder issue is developing among Ukrainian citizens, and we need to be there and ready to support them when they come through the conflict."

The MP continued: "We visited a cemetery in Lviv.

"Lviv is right on the Western border of Europe, so it is very quiet in terms of air raids and attacks but this cemetery was just for service personnel who had been killed from the city of Lviv, not even the surrounding areas.

"It was full to the brim, there were graves that had been filled from men who had been buried that morning."

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