A Ukrainian journalist addressed a vigil for Daphne Caruana Galizia on Wednesday night, describing life in the "heart of hell" in Ukraine.

Inna Honcharuk-Plikhivska was a journalist in Ukraine until she and her 10-year-old daughter moved to Malta some years ago.

Her family remain in Ukraine, where they are living with the consequences of Russia's invasion of the country on February 24.

“You cannot imagine what it means to grab one bag and put in it just the items you need to survive, like warm clothes, a blanket, water and some food, and leave behind you, to be burnt down, your house, your memories and all that you have worked hard for all your life because of one man’s greed,” Honcharuk-Plikhivska told her audience.

She was addressing the monthly vigil for the murdered journalist in Valletta’s Great Siege Square, following Ukraine’s national anthem and the holding up of blue and yellow papers to form the besieged country’s flag.

“Ukrainians are determined to fight for justice until the very end just as you are determined with your presence here to keep fighting for justice for Daphne,” she said.

Sharing her experiences of the last three weeks since her country was invaded by Russia, the Ukrainian journalist said: “We want justice for Daphne and for other journalists who lost their lives to expose the atrocities in the Ukraine”, adding that at least three were already killed by the Russians.

The war, however, did not start 21 days ago – “which feels like 21 centuries for Ukrainians” – but in 2014; and centuries ago, when Russia tried to occupy Ukraine and make Ukrainians its “servants”.

But the Ukrainians never gave up and this could still be seen from the courageous soldiers and civilians defending the country today, Honcharuk-Plikhivska said to spontaneous applause.

People at a vigil to remember murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia hold aloft the colours of the Ukraine flag. Photo: Repubblika

“Over the last eight years, in the bottom of our hearts, we were waiting for this to happen, but could never believe that it would come true.”

Describing Russian President Vladimir Putin as “insane” and wanting all Ukraine, the journalist asked the gathering whether they wanted to “live under stress like Ukrainians today, waiting for this crazy man to maybe push the button”.

In an impassioned plea, she urged to “take the risk and stop him now as no one is safe in Europe".

Messages from Ukraine

Honcharuk-Plikhivska conveyed messages from friends in Kyiv, Lviv, Mariupol and other towns and villages that were “being bombed and destroyed as we speak”, recounting how her daughter’s teacher fled the capital three days ago to undertake an arduous journey to the west of Ukraine to find shelter in her mother’s house.

“He has no job now, like millions of Ukrainians, and is surviving together with my 70-year-old mother with the help of some money we are sending them,” she said, adding they were spending most of their time in the basement.

A Ukrainian flag is held aloft at the vigil. Photo: AFP

Honcharuk-Plikhivska also shared messages from her friends in Ukraine, who are in the “heart of this hell” but were strong and did not give up.

Her colleagues said the West could not remain neutral because it meant supporting “Russia’s bloodthirsty regime” and that Ukraine was fighting for the whole of Europe and needed to be accepted as an EU member.

Just hours before, the journalist had spoken to her mother, who told her she did not sleep because the sirens were sounding all night.

“Life in my country has stopped. They live from siren to siren to go into their basements to save their lives,” adding they kept hearing them even when they were not ringing.

Despite all, Honcharuk-Plikhivska believed in a Ukrainian victory over Russian occupiers and that the country would rebuild its cities.

On behalf of the Ukrainians, she expressed gratitude for the solidarity towards the country.

She concluded her address with a deep sigh, admitting “it was not easy for me”, and received one of the longest applauses in 53 vigils, according to Caruana Galizia’s son Matthew.

An earlier version of this story stated the journalist had left Ukraine after the invasion. She had moved to Malta beforehand.