More than 7 million Ukrainians internally displaced by Russia-Ukraine conflict

At one community registry in Kyiv, we met Ksenia from the eastern Donetsk region. Her husband joined the army in February. Now, Ksenia and her son are among Ukraine's more than seven million internally displaced persons, or IDPs.

KSENIA Internally Displaced Person from Donetsk "I desperately want to go home. I wake up every morning and feel like it's a nightmare."

Ksenia says that weeks of bombing were greater than any explosions over the past eight years in the region. They first evacuated to Dnipro but later moved to Kyiv in March.

Inside this government-provided apartment, Danilo could be closer to his father's army, at least.

DANILO Internally Displaced Person from Donetsk "I miss my home. There was a forest and lake next to my house. Together with my friends, we built a big tree house and painted it. We also constructed a kind of dugout. It was my favorite place in the forest. Now my friends are elsewhere, and even if we're back, we probably won't be able to get to our place. I don't know what would happen to it."

Sharing the same apartment, Kateryna and her daughter, also from the Donetsk region, said they tried being strong in order to stay, but they finally fled.

KATERYNA Internally Displaced Person from Donetsk "We just grabbed some bags and medicines I need and didn't even have time to change clothes. We rushed to catch the evacuation bus. We didn't even know where were going."

They stopped in Dnipro. The daughter said it was crowded and cold in the temporary shelter.

LARYSA Internally Displaced Person from Donetsk "All of them needed a place to live."

Though the mother said they have everything they need now, grief still haunts her.

KATERYNA Internally Displaced Person from Donetsk "Everything that we have got and built in our lives is now being deliberately destroyed with all kinds of weapons that we have never known. There is so much anger toward our people, our country, so much hatred, contempt and humiliation. We're worried about everyone, not just ourselves. What people have to go through!"

Ksenia says the stronger the community stands the sooner they can return home.

SOURCE: CGTN

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