¹ú²úÊÓƵ

74-year-old Olga Boiko and her husband, Viktor, once lived a quiet, peaceful life in the village of Novyi Bykiv in northern Ukraine.

They kept busy each day farming crops, managing their household, and raising livestock. Their cows, pigs, rabbits, and goats roamed the grassy fields around the home.

Viktor plowed the fields himself with their family tractor. There, they grew tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and other crops to sell at the local market. Members of their large, lively family were frequent and welcome visitors.

This idyllic life changed dramatically when Russian troops arrived in Novyi Bykiv.

They occupied the village for 33 days – but the danger they left behind lasted far longer. For communities living through war, life rarely returns to normal the second the shelling stops.

After the occupation ended, Ukrainian troops came to check for any remaining threats. They found several explosives near Olga and Viktor’s home. They warned the couple to move with extreme caution, stay out of the forest, and avoid farming their land.

Faced with few options, Olga and Victor sold most of their livestock. They said goodbye to loved ones who are now fighting in the war.

They lived cautiously, unable to grow crops, tend to their animals, or venture into the familiar area around their home.

Russian troops destroyed the car they had driven for over 30 years, making it even more difficult to leave their home independently.

For older people, many of whom already have limited mobility, not knowing if land is safe complicates daily life immensely. Daily routines become even slower, more complex, and full of anxious uncertainty.