Four Years of War Leave Ukrainians Weary and Longing for Peace
As the conflict in Ukraine marks its fourth anniversary this week, the daily struggles of civilians like Iryna in Kyiv highlight a profound weariness that has settled over the nation. Each morning, Iryna, 38, navigates her apartment in the Desnianskyi district with a flashlight, facing another day without heating or electricity. She and her husband rise from bed to light the gas stove, heating water to prepare their eight-year-old daughter for school after another frigid night.
From Peaceful Plans to Survival Mode
Before the Russian invasion four years ago, Iryna's life was filled with optimism and planning. 'We had a lot of plans for the future, both long-term and short-term, about trips, vacations, and things like that,' she recalls. 'Of course, the beginning of the war turned all of those plans into dust. Now, I don't even have the room to dream like that.' Instead, her focus has shifted entirely to survival, with the family devising ways to keep warm as temperatures plummet.
They rely on layers of blankets, sleeping together in the same bed, and filling water bottles in a desperate attempt to ward off the cold. 'We are tired. We are exhausted by this war and the new challenges that keep coming,' Iryna explains. 'We managed to adjust to power outages, then heat outages, then more attacks. These challenges become harsher and harsher. We don't want to live like this.'
The Harsh Reality of Resilience as a Burden
This week's anniversary comes amid ongoing Russian strikes that have devastated Ukraine's infrastructure, knocking out power and claiming hundreds of civilian lives. For Iryna, the tragedy hit home last November when a Russian drone struck her in-laws' home, killing them both. As the term 'resilience' is often used to describe Ukrainians enduring such violence, Iryna rejects it as a compliment.
'It's an extra burden that was enforced on us [Ukrainians], something none of us actually wanted,' she says. 'We wanted to live our lives. Now we have to be strong, even though we never asked to be.' For her and many others who have lived under these conditions for nearly half a decade, the expectation to cope with constant deprivation and loss feels like an unfair imposition.
A Rejection of the 'New Normal'
Iryna emphasizes that this existence is not something she accepts as normal. 'I don't treat this as a new normal. I really want things to change back to the way they were before. I still have hope that things will change for the better,' she asserts. Her perspective offers a stark contrast to life in cities like London, where basic services like electricity and heating are readily available.
While acknowledging that residents in the UK face their own struggles, such as paying bills, Iryna urges those with access to essential utilities not to take them for granted. 'We used to take heating and electricity for granted,' she reflects. 'Now, we truly value it.' Her words underscore a deep appreciation for the simple comforts that war has stripped away, as Ukrainians continue to endure an unrelenting cycle of hardship and loss.
