A Personal Story of War and Life Under Occupation in Ukraine

“I Really Want to Return Home”: A Personal Story of War and Life Under Occupation in Ukraine

Kateryna — Katia, as her CORE colleagues call her — experienced the onset of the war in Kherson, a beautiful city in southern Ukraine. Her hometown was occupied within days. Over three years of war, she endured the occupation, abandoned her home, and lost her business. She worries every day about her family’s safety, yet she remains optimistic and helps others who have also suffered from the war.

“On February 24, 2022, I woke up at 5 a.m. to a noise. My father was already in uniform; he had been called to defend the city,” Kateryna recalls. He was the first, but not the last, person in her family whose life the war turned upside down. From day one, Kherson faced constant shelling.

The real horror began during the city’s occupation. At first, locals stayed home out of fear of being targeted. But in March, thousands of pro-Ukrainian demonstrations began. Unfortunately, civilians were no match for the occupiers’ weapons and military equipment.

Kateryna with other pro-Ukrainian supporters at a demonstration.

Like hundreds of others, Russian forces searched Kateryna’s family and seized their electronic devices, leaving the family’s only means of communication as their grandmother’s old cell phone.

After several months under occupation, the family decided to flee Kherson, leaving their home and everything in it behind. After several treacherous days of travel in which they experienced shelling, nights spent in a cowshed, interrogation at Russian checkpoints, and threats, the family found themselves in Ukrainian-controlled territory.

“When we finally left the gray zone and saw the Ukrainian military, we realized that all our fears about occupation were behind us. That’s how we got to Kryvyi Rih (a city located 200 kilometers from Kherson). There, we saw Ukrainian flags and heard the Ukrainian language being spoken. The shops were full of goods—it felt like a miracle compared to life under occupation.”

A whole year later, Ukrainian forces liberated Kherson, and the family decided to return home. However, what they found was far from what they’d left. Their house had been completely looted, and all their belongings had been destroyed.

And, even in liberation, their home remained close to the front line, and constant shelling made daily life dangerous. So, Kateryna’s family moved to the neighboring city of Mykolaiv.

The family sometimes visits Kherson to feel close to home, but very infrequently. “Due to the constant activity of enemy FPV drones, it’s dangerous to move around, so we haven’t been home in six months. Our house is intact, but every time I read about explosions in our neighborhood, I worry,” Kateryna admits.

Because of the war, Kateryna completely changed her profession. Before, she worked in the hotel industry and owned a taekwondo studio for children. Now, she’s dedicated her life to humanitarian work.

Kateryna has worked for CORE in Mykolaiv for over a year, helping those, like her, who have been impacted by the war.

Kateryna (left) poses with other members of CORE’s Ukraine staff.

Working at CORE to Help Ukrainians in Need

Since the beginning of the war, CORE has been in Ukraine, supporting those most in need. In the early days, CORE assisted refugees and internally displaced people as they fled from the violence, providing assistance at shelters and crucial access to rental support.

Today, CORE remains in Ukraine, often working in frontline communities as people weary from years away return home and start rebuilding their lives. But there’s lots of work to do, and Kateryna and the rest of CORE’s Ukraine team are there to meet the challenge.

Kateryna works on vital projects, such as rebuilding households, schools, and hospitals damaged by shelling. Each one of these is essential to restoring normalcy and stability within communities that the war has repeatedly impacted. Her and the team’s dedication and resolve highlight the importance of hiring local staff, who, above all, have a deep understanding and knowledge of the areas and people, which makes their work so effective and impactful.

“I am extremely happy to have joined CORE. I adore our Ukrainian team. Everyone here is a professional. They support and help each other. Most importantly, we implement projects that help people affected by the war,” she says.

Kateryna has not lost hope of returning to Kherson after the war: “I have always admired the beauty of the Kherson region’s nature. I miss the sea, the forests, and the steppes. I really want to return home, continue working, and live in peace and tranquility.”

If you’d like to stay up to date with our ongoing response in Ukraine or would like to support this important work, please visit our Ukraine Response landing page.