Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska has given a rare TV interview with her husband President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The rare appearance marks only the second time the couple have been seen together since Russia's invasion, with the 44-year-old screenwriter holding up in an undisclosed location for her safety.
Speaking to Ukraine's RADA TV, Zelenska, who has two children with the world leader, described how her family was separated by the war.
"Our family was torn apart, as every other Ukrainian family," she said.
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Advertise with NZME."Nobody takes my husband away from me, not even the war. But, yes, he lives for his job, we almost don't get to see him.
"We didn't see him at all for two and a half months. We only spoke on the phone with each other.
"Now, we had a few occasions to see each other. And I am also very thankful for this occasion, because [this interview] makes us spend time together."
During the joint interview, Zelenska recalled waking up to "weird noises" as the Russian conflict began. She noticed her husband was not by her side and found him in the next room, putting on a suit.
"I asked him: 'What was going on?' And he said: 'It has started'," she said.
"I can't describe the emotions – anxiety, stupor. He told me this and left.
"After that, we didn't see each other for a long time."
The First Lady and her children, Aleksandra, 17, and Kiril, 9, were evacuated out of Kyiv.
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Advertise with NZME.It is unclear when Zelenska returned to Kyiv, but earlier this month she met with US First Lady Jill Biden in the western Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod.
Jill Biden's surprise visit not only marked a rare solo trip for the spouse of a sitting US president into an active war zone, but was also the first time Zelenska was seen in public since the invasion began.
Zelenska has supported her husband from afar and said in an interview last month with a Polish news outlet that the war has only shown to the world the kind of man Zelenskyy has always been.
"The war has not changed him," she said. "He has always been a man you can rely on. A man who will never fail. Who will hold out until the end.
"It's just that now the whole world has seen what may not have been clear to everyone before," she added.
