Svitlana, a 74-year-old resident of Izium in Ukraine’s Kharkivska Oblast, describes her hometown, nestled along the banks of the Siverskyi Donets River, as a green and picturesque place. Surrounded by forests, the locals once enjoyed mushroom picking there. “There’s an abundance of mushrooms now, as it was last year,” Svitlana notes, “But nobody ventures out to gather them anymore. The area is littered with mines, and there have been multiple tragic incidents.”
With the onset of the full-scale invasion, Izium quickly became a strategic target for the Russian military. In March, Russian forces seized the city’s left-bank area and commenced bombardment of its central district, situated on the right bank. By April 2022, Izyum was entirely under occupation.
During this harrowing period, Svitlana remained in the city, seeking refuge from the relentless bombardment alongside her neighbors in a bomb shelter devoid of water or electricity.
“We stayed because we had no alternative. Our shelter housed 25, sometimes 30 of us. Tensions ran high, with some attempting to flee only to return. Between bombardments, we ventured out to fetch water from a nearby spring. The bombardments were horrifying.”
Throughout the occupation, Svitlana’s apartment suffered significant damage: almost every window shattered, furniture and walls ruined. She mentions that shards of glass are still found scattered around her home.
Svitlana recalls cooking over an open fire with her neighbors, clinging to the hope of waking up to the end of the occupation. Despite limited communication, they were aware of efforts to liberate Izium. One morning, they noticed the streets deserted, signaling the withdrawal of Russian forces. By the evening, Ukrainian troops made their entry into the city. On September 10, 2022, Izium was finally liberated.
In the aftermath, Svitlana returned to her apartment, patching up the broken windows with makeshift materials. The CARE Ukraine Winterisation and Resilience Program later provided her with new windows. “We were constantly in touch with the foundation,” she says. “The workers were incredibly helpful and efficient.” To date, we have completed 178 housing repairs in Izium, preparing residents for the upcoming winter.
The CARE Ukraine Winterisation and Resilience Program is being implemented by the Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” with the support of the humanitarian organization CARE.Ukraine.