A UKRAINIAN woman’s long-planned wedding at St Oswald's Church in Guiseley went ahead on Friday despite the desperate situation caused by the Russian invasion of her homeland.

Yulia Sizkova was on the verge of postponing her wedding to principal electrical engineer Paul Dodsworth of Moortown, Leeds, after fighting erupted in Ukraine. She has parents, family and friends in the city of Lebedyn, barely 60 miles from the Russian border.

But her parents Tetiana and Vova Kizian convinced Yulia - who runs the Blinok Pancake House in Guiseley - to go ahead, and the Rev David Pickett, rector of St Oswald’s Church in Guiseley arranged for the service to be live-streamed directly to Lebedyn.

Out of respect the wedding featured yellow and blue flowers and a big Ukrainian Flag in the background in the church.

The Rev Pickett said: “It is my great privilege to be able to marry Yulia and Paul at St Oswald's Church in front of family and friends, including those viewing via the internet from the beleaguered area of Eastern Ukraine. To be able to bring love and joy into this catastrophic situation is beyond measure.”