INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
had managed to escape the advancing Russian army
with our own eyes, we felt hatred towards the occupiers and were disgusted that the enemy's feet had trampled on our land," Larissa says
"We felt only anger and hatred."Upon their return in September 2022, they saw their house was nothing but a pile of rubble
Each street is as empty as the next
Green wooden crates that were once filled with Russian artillery ammunition are scattered throughout the village
A car lies on its roof beside a muddy path
At the end of the street stands a tank, burned out and rusted, with a Ukrainian flag waving in the wind.Kamyanka is one of many Ukrainian
villages leveled during the invasion that face the nearly insurmountable task of reconstruction
40 billion euros ($43 billion) to Ukraine for humanitarian purposes and reconstruction, while Kyiv has earmarked another 50 billion euros
2023 report by the Ukrainian government, along with the World Bank, the European Commission and the United Nations estimated the costs of
everything," Larissa says
"What would a person feel if they were in our shoes? When they see something like this, when you've built for years, invested all your
energy, money and soul into your nest, and it's simply destroyed?"While Larissa works in their garden, Viktor spends his days rebuilding
Materials supplied by the United Nations and Ukrainian volunteers allow him to make progress in insulating the walls
A blue UNHCR tarp prevents rain from falling on his makeshift construction site
However, the lack of two exterior walls makes the house temporarily uninhabitable.Viktor and Larissa in November 2023 with construction
underway.Joshua Robert Kroeker"Since our return, we have received a lot of humanitarian aid
provide part of this money.Rebuilding a lifeViktor, Larissa and their two dogs vividly remember the first weeks of the war."When the
shelling started, the war began, and the dog was the first to take cover
managed to push Russian troops back far enough to recapture Kamyanka
basements, expecting and hoping that Ukraine would drive the Russian soldiers out of artillery range.For Viktor's family and their dogs,
life in Kamyanka has changed completely since returning
the planes," Viktor says.However, a certain sense of security and calm has returned."There is no electricity, running water or heating
Robert KroekerHe and his wife live in what used to be the kitchen
They have a small table, a bed, a stove, food supplies and a television
The house is barely stable and supported by a large metal post
Every wall needs to be rebuilt
Laughing, he explains that his grandmother was born in Penza, a Russian city southeast of Moscow.Viktor points to the toilet in the former
The washing machine, electrical appliances, furniture
toilet they built in the garden because the village no longer has running water.Threat of minesMuch of the land around Viktor and Larissa's
infrastructure and eventually restore the village's power supply
Kyiv region says that it will "take years, if not decades, to demine the entire village." They add: "But the longer we wait, the more
our property because we defused them ourselves after we returned," Viktor says
Meanwhile, mines remain a real danger to everyone in the village
In the fall, they harvested pumpkins, corn and tomatoes
They keep chickens and ducks in their yard
Small amounts of foreign aid keep them afloat
An old metal stove heats the single room they live in
They look forward to seeing their daughter in Odesa again.Just a few meters from the chicken coop lies a Russian 2S19 self-propelled
For them, it is a souvenir from harder times and a reminder of their freedom.When asked what motivated them to return and rebuild after the
We see ourselves nowhere else but on our land, and we will not give the Russians the satisfaction of driving us away from our land."Not
everyone shares this optimism
impact the Donbas region significantly
Entire cities and villages must be demined
