Good Morning Britain airs special Ukraine edition

Today on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Susanna Reid was live from Kyiv, Ukraine to mark almost one year from the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Her first time in the country since the war began, Susanna reported from the capital and spoke to the remarkable men, women and children who’ve survived the war and are still living in partially occupied Ukraine. Reporter Richard Gainsford also joined from Zaporizhzhia.

At the top of the programme, Susanna explained, “Nothing really prepared me for what I was able to witness in this place, Borodyanka. It’s a town on the road into Kyiv and it is still largely in ruins. The homes of hundreds of normal people, were blown apart.

“These are not military targets, they’re not stores of ammunition, these are homes of children, of elderly grandparents living with their families. All destroyed a year ago, as part of that early and vicious assault on the capital.”

Reacting to GMB’s report in Borodyanka, their equivalent of an MP, representative Olga Vasilevska-Smagliuk said, “When I saw this video I cried. After the Russian soldiers came we saw mass graves… We want to prosecute those Russian soldiers. I still [can’t believe] that the war has happened.”

Yvea and Zakhar (junior competitive dancers)

Also during today’s special programme, Ed Balls shared how his Strictly Come Dancing experience inspired his family to open their home to a Ukrainian mother and her two children, who sought refuge at the beginning of the war. Ed’s wife, MP Yvette Cooper also joined to explain how she managed to coordinate for the Ukranian family to have friends placed close by so that their children Yvea and Zakhar (junior competitive dancers) could continue practising together.

Mum Kateryna said, “It’s nice to live with Ed – not because Ed is here and I want to be polite!” Mother of Yeva and Zakhar shared, “My husband is in the military and we’re very proud of him, we constantly worry about him.”

At the end of the Rumba dance performance by the children, Ed, noticeably emotional said, “So beautiful, so emotional – you [Ranvir] do the weather, I can’t talk.”

Good Morning Britain’s reporting on the one year anniversary of the war in Ukraine will continue this week, weekdays from 6am on ITV1 & ITVX