LVIV: As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, the displacement of millions of Ukrainians has left families fractured and lives forever altered. Millions are officially registered as internally displaced persons (IDPs). Of these, 2.5 million people remain unable to return home, as many of their houses are destroyed or located in zones of active conflict, as per official figures.
The displacement numbers are most concentrated in regions like Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk.Kyiv and its surrounding area also shelter more than 743,000 displaced individuals. In response, the Ukrainian govt and international partners have established temporary housing solutions, including modular settlements.
In Lviv, Viktor Gabitov manages one such settlement. He describes modular housing as a crucial solution for many IDPs who initially lived in makeshift shelters. “The first wave of people moved to modular houses in April 2022,” Viktor said. 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.
Among the residents is Lyudmyla, a 79-year-old from Siversk in the Donetsk region. She has lived through the worst of the war’s impacts, losing her husband 19 years ago and her son several years later. When the conflict escalated, her daughter and granddaughter fled to Germany, but Lyudmyla chose to stay in Ukraine. “It’s all in the hands of God,” she says, explaining her decision to remain behind.
Lyudmyla’s story reflects the resilience of many elderly residents. Despite losing her home and nearly her sight after days spent hiding in a basement from shelling, she is grateful for the volunteers who financed her eye surgery. “I can see again, thanks to them,” she says. Yet, she does not see herself buying a new home. Instead, she hopes to return to Siversk one day, even though much of what she once had has been destroyed by missile strikes.
Others, like Tatiana from Bakhmut in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, have no homes to return to as war ruined them. “Everything is destroyed. There’s nothing left,” Tatiana says. The war has wiped out entire towns and villages in the Donetsk region, leaving displaced persons like her without a clear path forward.
Elena, a resident from Kharkiv, recalls her harrowing evacuation to Lviv in April 2022. “I prayed so hard for my son’s safety,” she says, describing a miracle that spared her son’s life during an artillery attack. But the trauma remains as Elena reflects on the loss of her neighbours and the brutal conditions on the frontline. “There were 35 people who left from Lviv in my son’s brigade—only three are still alive,” she recounts. Her son’s survival has left her both grateful and heartbroken.
In Chernihiv, Ivan Vashchenko, deputy head of the regional military administration, estimates that 250,000 people have left the region since the war began. “Before the invasion, the region had 940,000 people; now we have around 850,000,” he explains, citing data from mobile phone users and utility payers.
As the Russia-Ukraine war rages on, the future for Ukraine’s displaced and refugees remains uncertain. Some, like Lyudmyla, dream of returning home, while others, like Tatiana, know they have nothing to return to. The stories of those affected by the war underscore not just the physical devastation but also the profound emotional toll it has taken on millions of Ukrainians.