ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Today marks one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Local Ukrainians and family are reflecting on the year and needs abroad going forward. Some are still fighting for Ukraine here at home.

One mother is in agony as she awaits communication from her two sons. Although they’re in Poland, they’re missing from their family at home.

“I think there’s one or two missing pieces,” says Jill Krenzer as she and her son put together a puzzle. “Yes, two,” replies her son, Kyle. Just like Jill’s two other sons in Ukraine.

One year later, Ukraine is still under attack from Russia. Jill Krenzer, a prospective adoptive mom here in Brockport, is still pushing to get her Ukrainian sons home from Poland. But for now, this is just one puzzle they can’t solve.

“Never a year in did I think we’d be still fighting to get these kids home,” Krenzer said. “There are still people who don’t think there’s really a war going on in Ukraine.”

“I just want my kids home. I want my kids safe.” Jill’s son, Kyle is from Ukraine and fortunately they were able to adopt him before the war broke out. But the other two boys she is hoping to bring home, haven’t had contact with her for months.

“It’s very disheartening, in the fact that I worry they will think I gave up. I abandoned them, that I’m just another person that walked away.” She says most families that have been in the adoption process have been hitting roadblocks.

For others with Ukrainian ties, they worry for the safety of their friends and what will come of their war-torn homeland. Oleg Savka is a volunteer at Roc Maidan.

He says some of what Ukraine needs right now are medical supplies and generators as the power grid was damaged this winter.

“Ukrainians are strong, they’ll keep fighting to the end. America has been helping out like crazy, without them I don’t know what they’d do, says Savka.

As for Krenzer, what she and her kids need is for them to be home, far away from the war. “It’s always a fear they’ll go back. There are orphanages that are trying to go back. To safer areas, not back to where they’re from necessarily.”

Jill Krenzer also says there is another boy in Ukraine who is 18 this year, and with the war lasting a year, he has aged out of the orphanage. The Host Orphans Worldwide organization is now looking for a host family to sponsor him.

If you would like to donate to Roc Maidan, they have a full Amazon registry over on their website.