Members of the Ukrainian community in Cork say they are fearful for the safety of their families back home.
An anti-war demonstration is taking place on Grand Parade in the city this evening as Russian forces enter Ukraine's capital Kyiv.
Footage from the country shows some civilians fleeing major cities and it has also emerged that men aged 18 to 60 are being barred from leaving Ukraine in case they need to be conscripted into the military.
Tatiana lives in Cork with her family and is at this evenings demonstration.
She told RedFM News that she's worried about her family in Ukraine:
"My cousins are extremely worried because some of the kids are volunteering now to go to fight. My Godson, he's only 17 years old, and he said to his mother that she's going to go fight, which is very, very distressing. Then my third cousin now in Kyiv, she has a son, that I'm not quite sure - I haven't seen him in many years, but he's around in his 20s, and he says he's not going to leave Kyiv. He wants to stay - it's his city so there's a lot of concerns."
