The family of a 19-year-old Irish medical student who is stranded in the Ukrainian city of Sumy have appealed for more help to bring her home.
Racheal Diyaolu, from Carlow, has been confined to her student accommodation in Sumy, some 200km from Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, since the conflict began.
Her sister, Christiana Diyaolu, says her family are "scared and devastated" that she hasn't been able to leave yet.
"She has sent us videos of what it's like in the bunkers. It seems a cold and lonely environment. Our mum can't believe this is happening. She is distraught."
In a video recorded for RTÉ News yesterday, Racheal described how it was now "almost impossible" for her to leave Ukraine, due to the collapse of public transport and the distance she would have to travel to reach the borders of neighbouring countries.
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Christiana said: "There are barriers. Her location is really bad. To get to a border safely is a 20-hour journey. And she'd have to pass through bombs, shootings and military action.
"We have also heard how black people are facing racism at the borders too. So it's scary to think that my sister could do this journey, get to the border and still be turned away. It's horrible."
Racheal, who was due to make a trip home to Ireland later this month, has been in contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs, who, she says, advised her "to stay put".
Earlier this week, the Department said that consular assistance is being provided.
Christiana said: "I wish I could get more help from the people who have power to bring her home. There has been no update or action from them. This is the first time Racheal has been away from home. We just want her to come home."
Meanwhile a woman from Dublin who has been using social media to document day-to-day life in the heavily bombed Ukrainian city of Kharkiv says she hopes to leave today.
Marina Golodnikova has been staying in Ukraine's second largest city with her six-year-old son.
She has been using TikTok and Instagram to provide updates on how they are coping in a city under siege.
In a video posted last night, Ms Golodnikova said: "One week since the war started and it feels like another life. My city has been almost destroyed. But people's spirit is as strong as ever. Putin is not going to get what he wants. But who knows what he wants? He's a madman. We are going to rebuild, and Ukraine is going to be better than ever."
In the three-and-a-half minute video, Ms Golodnikova says city workers in Kharkiv have been "fixing everything" and describes them as "heroes, the same as our military. Doing their job, under constant threat of death."
She explains that she will be leaving the city in a vehicle organised by "a friend of a friend of a friend." She says that trying to leave by train would have been "a nightmare".
In another video published yesterday, a series of loud explosions can be heard in the locality. Ms Golodnikova adds that "40 plus residential buildings are on fire and hundreds of power outages."
On Wednesday, Ms Golodnikova posted a video explaining that her old school and local subway station had been bombed, describing the scene as "like something from World War II".
In a lighter moment, she also explains how pupils at her son's school - Castle Park in Dublin - had sent him a video "saying that they missed him and loved him." She also says she cried when she saw that they had put his name, in the colours of the Ukrainian flag, in a classroom window.
Just 50km from the Russian border, Kharkiv has experienced some of the most ferocious air and rocket attacks by Russian forces since the war began last week.
Concluding last night's video post, Ms Golodnikova, the co-owner of an Irish online house plant business, sounded a defiant note. "We are going to win. We are going to be great again."
Additional reporting Philip Bromwell
