Four Years Later: Ukrainian Lives Forever Changed by War

As Ukraine marks four years of conflict with Russia, residents share personal stories of transformation from peaceful lives to military service, devastating loss, and resilience. From a ballroom dance instructor turned army sniper to families torn apart by airstrikes, Ukrainians demonstrate remarkable strength despite unimaginable hardship.

KYIV, Ukraine — Four years into the conflict with Russia, Ukrainian citizens continue to endure tremendous hardship while maintaining their determination. They’ve suffered the loss of family members, physical injuries, destroyed homes, and shattered careers, yet their spirit remains unbroken. These are their personal accounts, with nearly all individuals holding photographs captured by family or friends prior to Russia’s comprehensive military assault.

Khimion spent her life immersed in ballroom dancing from childhood, eventually becoming a certified international judge and operating her own dance academy in Sloviansk within the Donetsk area. Her days revolved around competitions and instruction rather than combat.

“We believed that the world was beautiful and kind,” she said.

Today she serves as a marksman in Ukraine’s military forces. Her platinum blonde hair cascaded over her military green uniform as she stood in woodland outside Kyiv. While her spouse enlisted immediately and encouraged her to wait, she explained, “but once I decide something, it’s very hard to turn me from that path.”

Following training in Europe and service with multiple units, she eventually reached frontline duty. “Sniping is a very creative profession, and I’m a creative person,” she said. “At the same time, it’s very mathematical, and I love math.”

The mother of two adult sons hopes they won’t face the same military obligation.

Osypenko and her welder husband Oleksandr were parenting their son Davyd in northern Ukraine’s Chernihiv while hoping to expand their family. Their second son Hlib arrived in 2020.

Oksana, who worked as a high school educator, described the feeling as “New breath of life, new plans, a fresh start.” The couple accumulated savings for better housing while making future plans.

However, on March 3, 2022, a Russian aerial bombardment of Chernihiv claimed multiple lives, including Oleksandr, who was serving with local defense forces. His family didn’t learn of his death for over two weeks and found the news difficult to accept.

“I lived for about a year and a half with the feeling that he might walk through the door,” Oksana said.

Now 5 years old, Hlib has spent more time without his father than with him. “He seems to be starting to understand that his father isn’t there anymore,” his mother said.

Prior to the conflict, Liliia focused on dance and theatrical performance. She connected with her partner Bohdan through a dating application in January 2019. “I didn’t think it would turn into anything really serious,” she recalled.

Bohdan had joined the Azov Brigade voluntarily in 2015 to fight Russian forces in eastern Ukraine. When Russia began its comprehensive offensive in 2022, he responded immediately before being taken prisoner.

Late last year, a Russian tribunal sentenced Bohdan to 18 years imprisonment.

“It’s a constant fear for someone you love, for his life above all, and for his health, which is deteriorating every day in captivity, in inhumane conditions,” said Liliia, who withheld her surname for safety reasons.

She participates in weekly demonstrations supporting imprisoned soldiers in Kyiv.

“It’s hard for me to function and to give people beauty on stage while dancing in the theater when inside I feel empty,” she said.

Knysh was 16 when he stepped outside his Selydove apartment in the Donetsk area at sunrise on Feb. 24, 2022, as Russian military began their major offensive. He described the sky as ominous and troubling.

“I was feeling defenseless and powerless,” he recalled.

At 20, he’s now a war veteran. In February 2024, he enlisted in Ukraine’s military following family disputes over his pro-Ukrainian stance in an area where some locals favor Russia.

A drone strike in the Kharkiv area wounded him last October, resulting in the loss of both arms and legs.

During recovery and preparation for prosthetic treatment in America, he maintains his spirits through dark comedy, recites Ukrainian poetry, and stresses the value of understanding history.

“There are moments when it really overwhelms you, when you start thinking about ending your life,” he said. “But I realize that maybe fate has its own plans.”

Nehoda and his spouse Antonina spent approximately two decades trying to conceive before their daughter Adelina was born healthy last April.

They frequently visited the home constructed by Nehoda’s grandfather following World War II in Pohreby village near Kyiv. The location appeared more secure than the capital, and Nehoda’s parents could assist Antonina with childcare.

A Russian Shahed drone hit their house in the early hours of Oct. 22. Nehoda’s wife, their 6-month-old daughter, and his niece were in the targeted room. All three perished.

“If it had hit half a meter to the side, they would all be alive,” said Nehoda, who had remained in Kyiv that evening.

He describes living dual existences — one filled with memories and another focused on rebuilding. The challenge is significant.

“I’m not in my twenties anymore,” he said.

Khmelnytskyi previously managed customer service calls for large delivery companies. On Feb. 24, 2022, morning, he accessed the work platform to find no other employees online. Explosions had already occurred near his Kyiv-area town, though he had slept through them.

He initially tried to enlist but was rejected due to lack of military experience. Later, a friend informed him about a position with the State Emergency Service.

Currently, Khmelnytskyi serves as a sergeant with an emergency response team, primarily addressing missile and drone attacks. He says the work has toughened him. Initially fearful of walking on unstable wreckage, experience gradually replaced his apprehension.

He maintains constant readiness, keeping his phone beneath his pillow while sleeping. Sometimes he rests in vehicles between duties. Even during time off, he can be summoned within an hour.

“The hardest thing is that this becomes normal,” he said, adding: “No Ukrainian likes this. People are tired. Tired — but holding on.”

Shytik and her 78-year-old husband Viktor had established their lives in Vuhledar within the Donetsk region. He worked construction at a coal facility while she handled accounting duties.

On Feb. 24, 2022, Shytik was tending her garden when a low-altitude aircraft flew overhead. Artillery bombardment soon followed. Trees were uprooted from the earth. She and her husband took shelter underground for almost a month before evacuating with only identification papers in a plastic container. Their residence was subsequently destroyed by fire.

The pair has relocated nine times. One Kyiv apartment sustained damage during a missile attack in October 2022, injuring them and their daughter with flying debris.

They currently occupy subsidized housing near Kyiv, where they’ve resided for two of their allotted five years. Their future destination remains uncertain.

“At first I couldn’t bear it,” Shytik said regarding their displacement. She eventually compelled herself to concentrate on her daughters and grandson.

“But we will live,” she added, smiling. “We are not going to die.”