FEBRUARY 24th, 2022 — The cool air filled Galyna Kovalenko’s body as she peacefully attended her garden at her countryside home. She suddenly jolted up as a “boom” sound echoed throughout the sky. The hair on her arms stood up as the earth beneath her started to shake. Kovalenko and her neighbors rushed out of their homes to discover that the Russians had attacked and a bomb landed only a few miles away from them.
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A few weeks later, Kovalenko’s territory was occupied by Russian soldiers. During this time, another bomb landed nearby, which caused her home to cave in. She tried to continue her daily tasks, like gardening, but would occasionally hide in her cellar that she could easily access from inside her home. “I went in when Russians tanks would go by our homes, but I was not afraid of them,” Kovalenko said.
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Kovalenko’s daughter, Lara Irkliienko, lived in the city of Kharkiv. She experienced hardships as well as losing contact with her mother, Kovalenko. From the many near-death experiences Lara Irkliienko endured, one occurred when she went to her local pharmacy. “As I waited in line outside the pharmacy, it started bombing as a piece of missile came at us. I was crying as I told the people inside to let me in.” Lara Irkliienko said.
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Because of the COVID-19 restrictions, only one person could be in the building at a time which caused chaos for the people waiting outside. People fell to the ground as they tried to take cover, while others ran for their life. Another incident occurred much closer to her home.
“A bomb destroyed a government building, which is a 5-minute walk from my home,” Lara Irkliienko said. It shook her home to the point where it made her fall to the floor. When such things happened, she was advised to go into the hallway of her apartment building, as it was the safest spot for her. Ukrainian authorities wanted residents to stay away from windows and be in the middle of their homes as much as possible, to avoid getting injured.
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This was a living nightmare for Lara Irkliienko’s daughter, Iryna Irkliienko, as she lived thousands of miles away from home. “I remember waking up and reading the news about the Russians attacking our hometown. I was sitting on the bathroom floor crying as I was on the phone with a friend because I couldn’t get ahold of my family.” Iryna Irkliienko said.
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In the following months, Iryna Irkliienko was in constant contact with her family, fearing for their safety and well-being. It was particularly hard for her because there wasn’t much, she could do, but she prayed for both her family and the people of Ukraine. “Hopeless and helplessness is the worst feeling that I will ever experience,” Iryna Irkliienko said.​
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After four long months, Iryna Irkliienko's family arrived at the Denver International Airport on June 10th, 2022. Even with her family here, they still pray and hope for the people back in Ukraine.
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“The war is not over yet. We still get bad news every day, about how buildings and parks are getting destroyed, as well as the casualties.” Lara Irkliienko said. They hope to eventually return home, but they know their country will never be the same.
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Below is an example of what their home country currently looks like. Dozens of satellite images that span across the country show destroyed buildings and land caused by Russian bombs and missiles. The image below is from the village Rivnopillya, Ukraine. Burning homes and craters caused by the bombs can be seen.