As reports of Russia invading Ukraine started circulating across the world, those who have left the two countries and now live in Tasmania feel deeply affected by the current events.
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Tasmanian Ukranian Darya Kuznyetsova left Ukraine two years ago after having lived in Kyiv, the nation's capital where Russia launched its airstrikes this week.
Her brothers still lives in Kyiv, and she has friends and a large extended family living across the country.
"Part of my family with young children is trying to relocate temporarily to Lviv (Western Ukraine), further from the attacks and closer to the EU border," she said.
"My younger brother is staying in Kyiv, most likely he will be enlisted eventually, as he is an army reservist."
Ms Kuznyetsova said she is concerned other countries will not step in to help Ukraine, and many lives will be lost. She said the Russian takeover of the Chernobyl Nuclear power plant could also put the whole of Europe at risk of radiation exposure.
"Ukraine has been in a de-facto war with Russia since 2014, even though Russia has been denying it. However, this conflict had been localized to certain areas of Eastern Ukraine up until yesterday," Ms Kuznyetsova said.
"Unfortunately, throughout most of the 8 years of the war, up until last months there had been very little attention to this situation from the international community," she said.
"My biggest concern is the number of people that are going to die and be injured during the war. More than 13, 000 people have died in the war with Russia since 2014, 57 people died on the first day of full-scale invasion."
Tasmanian Russian Vika Larionova, who has lived here for 12 years, said the invasion and possibility of war was a complete knock to humanity.
Ms Larionova said she in no way supported how Russia was currently acting
But she added that she understood the political tension that Russia might feel, and that the Cold War still very much existed.
"Any start of war for us, there is no future for humanity. The amount of technology and weapons we have, we know that there will be no winners," Ms Larionova said.
"But knowing the context of what is going on between Ukraine and Russia, knowing the history as a citizen of the country, it is not a surprise," she said.
"Ukraine is a check piece on the board. It is just a way to execute power and behind that power is NATO.
"Sadly it will be a civil people that will be caught between all of those issues."
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