UKRAINIAN mothers shared heart-breaking stories of what it was like to flee a warzone as people gathered at The Guildhall for a minute's silence.
Scores of people arrived at the city on Friday morning to take part in a nationwide minute of silence to mark the one-year anniversary of Ukraine being invaded by Russia.
Adrian Gregson, mayor, led the crowd into a minute's silence at 11am after giving a short speech.
Ukrainian guests, councillors, and supporters bowed their heads to pay their respects to lives lost during the war.
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Women and children then made their way inside the hall to mark the harrowing anniversary.
Vira Tarasenko, mother of two, said was forced to leave her life behind in Militopo last year.
She said: "It was really scary, this was the first town to be occupied by the Russian military.
"We left on April 6 last year and arrived in Worcester.
"People in our town were being tortured if you were in support of Ukraine.
"When we left Melitopol we passed 20 Russian checkpoints, it was very scary and dangerous.
Mrs Tarasenko had to leave her husband, who works as a policeman in Ukraine, as she fled for a better life for her young daughters.
She said: "We had to leave for my daughter's future, it was too dangerous to stay.
A second mum, Alina Malova also left Ukraine on March 23 last year with her 16-year-old son and said: "My husband is still there and I arrived in the UK with my son and mum.
"It is unbelievable, I can't believe it has been a year and the war is still going on. It is scary it's been a year, which means it could carry on for two or three more years.
Mrs Malova said she knew she had to leave Ukraine to protect her son
"I didn't feel very confident when I first came, we didn't know what it was like.
"Me and my mum both work and British people have been very welcoming to me.
"We've started our life again from 0."
Anna Voitenko, left her father and brother behind as she fled the warzone with her 15-year-old son.
On March 5 Ms Voitenko left Ukraine and lived in Latvia for three months before coming to England.
She said: "We were scared at the time, I was scared for my son.
"All I could think about was my son, I needed to find a safe place for my children to continue their life.
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