A Reading teacher said she is “proud," "scared" and "overwhelmed” after her daughter joined the Ukrainian military to defend the country against a full-scale Russian invasion.

Alexandra Sevko moved from Kyiv to the UK in 2012 before founding the Reading Ukranian School, but her daughter, Maria, remains in the Ukranian capital.

Maria, 30, signed up to patrol a bomb shelter with the Territorial Defense Force, a reserve component of the army.

“I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I am a mother, I am proud of her but it’s the last thing I wanted her to do because it puts her in more danger,” said Ms Sevko, who lives in Didcot.

“She weighs about 40 kilos. She is very tender and very thin.”

Reading Chronicle: Nabih Bulos/Los Angeles Times Video still taken from the twitter feed of @nabihbulos of the view from one of the apartments in a high rise building which was struck by a missile in Ukraine's capital KyivNabih Bulos/Los Angeles Times Video still taken from the twitter feed of @nabihbulos of the view from one of the apartments in a high rise building which was struck by a missile in Ukraine's capital Kyiv

Ms Sevko said there is not enough military equipment to go around, so she is fundraising to send helmets and drones to Ukraine.

“There are no helmets, no nothing. They are just literally fighting in their jeans and tops.”

She added: “It’s just really scary”.

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Maria’s only experience with a weapon was being taught to use an air gun to hunt rats in the garden by her grandfather, a military engineer, said Ms Sevko.

Reading Chronicle: People take part in a demonstration in Trafalgar Square, London, to denounce the Russian invasion of UkrainePeople take part in a demonstration in Trafalgar Square, London, to denounce the Russian invasion of Ukraine

The Russian invasion began on Thursday, February 24, murdering 137 civilians in the first day, according to the Ukrainian government.

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The Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, described the “horrific rocket strikes” on Kyiv, tweeting: “Last time our capital experienced anything like this was in 1941 when it was attacked by Nazi Germany.”

Ms Sevko said: “It is absolutely overwhelming. And how dare they. They call people such horrible names just for loving their country and wanting to be independent and wanting to live their own life.”