After losing her soldier brother in battle, a Ukrainian woman claims she believes it is her life's purpose to aid people from her homeland.
Before learning that 31-year-old Ivan was no longer alive, Antonina spent weeks trying to find him.
She speculates that he might have been held captive and tortured, but she cannot be certain.
She is helping other members of her community while working in a refugee center in Shropshire despite her grief. .
Antonina, a Ukrainian economist, explained that she had a close relationship with her brother, a carpenter who lived close to Kyiv.
He was well-known and very helpful. He was both my best friend and the godfather of my son, the 28-year-old said.
Ivan was enlisted to fight when the conflict started. At first, he kept in touch over the phone with his relatives who stayed in Ukraine and Antonina, who had relocated to Shrewsbury, Shropshire, with her husband and son.
She claimed that he was then transferred to a "hotspot," but she did not specify which one.
He was not permitted to speak at all. Thus, when I simply inquired about his well-being, he would reply, "I'm fine, I'm OK, we have everything, don't worry.". ".
However, he started to go missing after being uncontactable for a few days, and by October, his family was unable to find him.
"Then my mother sent me a message. He was reported missing and the police came to my her house, said Antonina.
"We were shocked, but at the same time, you still have hope when you don't know whether he's dead or being held as a hostage somewhere. ".
After several weeks of looking through social media for missing Ukrainians, Antonina claimed to have discovered an image of Ivan on a Russian website.
"What a horrible, awful image of his dead body. Because I can recognize someone I've known all my life, I was able to identify him. We were very close, so I remember everything. ".
She claimed that his official documents were found next to his body, and that the site contained biographical information that only he could have revealed.
"I came to the conclusion that he was probably still alive. to recount everything, and given that he was already dead, it is obvious that they likely tortured him to death. ".
Since then, Antonina has worked as one of seven Ukrainians for the nonprofit Shropshire Supports Refugees, which contacted her after she assisted with translation for others at the hub.
"You feel as though you are making a significant contribution, not just for yourself but also for others. And that gives you a sense of accomplishment," she added.
Since the war started, the Shrewsbury center has assisted about 600 Ukrainian refugees, and its chief executive Amanda Jones praised Antonina's fortitude.
Given the trauma she is currently experiencing, Antonina is incredibly resilient, the woman said.
As the first anniversary of the war draws closer, Antonina said she had made an effort to cope by being kind to others, but she was still anxious for it to be over.
"I can't believe a year has passed. I haven't lived at home in so long. My family hasn't been seen," she continued.
"I wasn't even able to attend my brother's funeral in person, but I was there virtually and therefore somewhat present. To visit my mother was very difficult.
. "
