A former Miss Ukraine has described how she fled Kyiv with her seven-year-old son after waking up to the sound of air raid sirens and explosions on the first day of Russia’s invasion.

Veronika Didusenko, dressed in the blue and yellow colours of the Ukrainian flag, also called on other countries to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine to stop Russia’s “terrorism”.

Ms Didusenko and her son joined thousands of others by evacuating the Ukrainian capital after Russia invaded the country on 24 February.

The former beauty queen said she had a slow drive to Ukraine’s western border with thousands of cars causing massive traffic jams as the country came under attack.

“Directly above my head, dozens of helicopters with their troops were bombing … as I was fleeing with my young son, I could see there was a real air battle above our head,” she said at a news conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

“On my… journey to the border of Ukraine, there was no place where sirens would not sound, where rockets and bombs would not explode.”

Ukraine war: Polish fighter jet plan rejected – follow live updates

Ukraine war: Mothercare eyes big sales hit as it joins list of brands halting business in Russia

Ukraine war: UK will not escalate the conflict ‘in a way that would be unacceptable’ to the world, Grant Shapps says

Ukraine war: Russia promises another temporary ceasefire to allow Ukrainian civilians to escape besieged cities

“It was horrible, so many children and mothers just trying to get to the border. What is more violent at the moment, the Russian militaries sometimes stopped and shot innocent people trying to escape,” she continued.

Ms Didusenko and her son eventually made it to Moldova and travelled through other European countries before reaching Geneva, Switzerland.

She said she made the “heartbreaking” decision to leave her son there to travel to the US to hold the news conference with women’s rights attorney Gloria Allred.

Follow the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

Her mother and grandparents are reportedly still in Kyiv.

Ms Didusenko said she fears Mr Putin won’t stop until he achieves the “eradication of everything Ukrainian and Ukraine itself”.

She added that calls from Ukrainians calling for more help are “falling on deaf ears in Washington and Europe”.

Lost equipment, casualties and communication fixtures: How the Russian military is faring in Ukraine – and what’s next

She also referenced repeated calls from Ukrainian officials to institute a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

“Close the skies over Ukraine,” she demanded, “people are dying in shelters with no food, no water, no light, no warmth. It is a tragedy. It is terrorism.”

Ms Didusenko said Ukrainians are committed to defending their country, but need more help from other nations.

She said: “Ukrainians absolutely have the courage to defend their land and homes, but in order to stop the endless attack from the east and north, they are in desperate need of weapons and ammunition. We will fight for our freedom and yours.”

Russia has become the world’s most sanctioned country – but is the UK doing its bit?

Ms Didusenko said she and Ms Allred decided the story of what is happening in Ukraine was important to share on International Women’s Day on Tuesday 8 March.

“Right now, millions of Ukrainian children and their mothers are trembling at every sound in the subway stations and bomb shelters. Even more heartbreaking that women are giving birth in such conditions in these shelters,” she said.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Ms Didusenko won the Miss Ukraine beauty pageant in 2018, but lost her title after it emerged she had a five-year-old son.

It comes after Anastasia Lenna, a former Miss Ukraine who represented her country in the 2015 Miss Grand International beauty contest, picked up an assault rifle and signed up to defend her home from Russian forces.

She wrote on Instagram: “Everyone who crosses the Ukrainian border with the intent to invade will be killed!”

Related posts:

Russia using old Putin tactic to justify military presence near the Ukrainian border Myanmar egg strike to an empty St Peter’s Square: How the world is spending Easter More than 1,800 prisoners escape after gunmen attack Nigeria jail ‘The Taliban will get me’: Afghan interpreters who worked with British troops plead for help Lionel Messi agrees to join Paris Saint-Germain on two-year contract after leaving Barcelona Toddler found drinking milk in hut after going missing for three days in Thailand G7 foreign ministers to meet in Liverpool amid stark warning about risk of war with Russia At least four dead and five missing as buildings collapse in Sicily gas explosion ‘Russia looking for excuse to invade Ukraine’ – but US insists week of diplomacy has not failed Cool Runnings inspires first skier to represent Jamaica at Winter Olympics Anne Frank betrayal suspect named by researchers after new investigation ‘Severe and complex’ COVID situation means public barred from Olympics tickets