The Ukrainians back at home this Christmas

Coming home for Christmas last year wasn't really an option for many Ukrainians forced to flee because of Russia's invasion in February 2022.

But this year, the 22-year-old's back in Kyiv with her real relatives for Christmas, even though the Ukrainian capital still faces danger from Russian rockets and drone attacks.

"Maybe I will regret in future that I made this decision," she says.

"But I thought about this a lot and my career, my life, belongs to Ukraine."

Valeria says she "physically and mentally felt very tired" being away from home and living in London.

She describes being in the UK as "a great experience", but not right for her at this point in her life because she struggled to find a job.

"I'm not a student, I don't have rich parents, I'm just alone. Everything is in my hands and I need to keep going to find a sense of life," she says.

The journey to Ukraine took Valeria about a day, with no direct flights from London to Kyiv.

Instead, she flew to Poland and then took a train back home.

But she feels the long trip is worth it and plans to see friends, family and visit restaurants - all while making sure they're back in time for a midnight curfew.

"My parents are in Ukraine, so it's another big reason why I'm [back] here," she says.

"I feel at home, like everything is fine. Even during war, I feel my mental health here is better."

It's a similar feeling for Marta Vasyuta.

The 22-year-old has been living in the UK since February 2022 after getting "stranded in London" a few days before Russia's invasion.

"It was really difficult for me to get used to society because I don't have any family or friends back there," she tells Newsbeat from Drohobych, a city in western Ukraine.

"I was just moving places from one to another, random British people who decided to host me, so I changed six places in six months."

Things eventually settled down when she received her visa, with Marta managing to get a job and a place at uni.

But she found being away from her friends and family tough, so decided to return to Ukraine two weeks ago.

Marta is planning to see as many people as possible now she's back and "just trying to enjoy returning home".

"We're going to celebrate Christmas [together] and I'm going to visit the city I was studying in [Lviv]," she says.

"I'll also be seeing my friends who are from other regions, whom I've not had a chance to meet earlier.

"I'm very inspired by how brave people are, how they've become used to all the situations around them."

But the joy of reuniting with friends and family can be tinged with sadness - Marta says she recently witnessed the funeral of a 23-year-old man killed in action.

Both Marta and Valeria have become familiar faces on TikTok as they spread information about the conflict.

And they're united in hoping for a better 2024, with Marta's "biggest wish for the war to end".

"It was the same wish in 2023, so nobody has any guarantees. But I hope people will stop being killed," she says.

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