Resilience amid ruins: Stories of Ukrainians displaced in war with Russia

Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced, with 2.5 million unable to return home as the war with Russia continues.

Donetsk, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kyiv recorded the highest numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

As of February 1, 2023, nearly 8 million Ukrainians were living abroad, with the majority being adults. There are 4.9 million registered internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine, 3.6 million of whom were displaced since the start of the full-scale war.

By the end of 2023, Donetsk (549,300 IDPs), Kharkiv (527,335), and Dnipropetrovsk (480,000) regions had the most displaced persons. Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast have also sheltered over 743,000 IDPs. In July 2024, over 1.2 million IDPs received housing compensation totaling more than 2.8 billion hryvnias.

“The first wave of people moved to modular houses in April 2022,” said administrator of the settlement Viktor Gabitov. These homes, with shared kitchens and bathrooms, ensure that residents are not vulnerable during power cuts. The settlement has a capacity of 1,400 people, and Viktor notes a constant flow of residents as some leave while others arrive.

To deal with the displacement crisis, modular housing settlements established by Ukrainian government and international partners.

Tatiana, a resident of Bakhmut in Ukraine's Donetsk region, finds herself among the countless individuals who have been displaced by the ongoing conflict.

The war has left her with no place to call home. "Everything is destroyed. There's nothing left," said Tatiana.

Lyudmyla, a 79-year-old woman from Siversk, Donetsk region, is one of the many residents who have endured the devastating consequences of the war. Despite the loss of her husband 19 years ago and her son a few years later, she remained resilient.

As the conflict intensified, Lyudmyla's daughter and granddaughter sought refuge in Germany, but she made the decision to stay behind in Ukraine.

Recalling his trauma associated with ​loss of her neighbours and the brutal conditions on the frontline, Kharkiv resident Elena said, "“There were 35 people who left from Lviv in my son’s brigade—only three are still alive,”

She also talked about a miracle that spared her son during an artillery attack. "“I prayed so hard for my son’s safety,” she said.

As the Russia-Ukraine war continues, the future for displaced Ukrainians remains uncertain. Some, like Lyudmyla, hope to return home, while others, like Tatiana, have nothing left to go back to. These stories highlight the deep emotional and physical toll the war has inflicted on millions of Ukrainians.