© UNHCR/Andrew McConnell
Ukraine
Mothers under fire
Five stories of strength and survival from Ukrainian mothers forced to flee
Ukraine
Five stories of strength and survival from Ukrainian mothers forced to flee
While many parents are navigating school runs and packed lunches, mothers in Ukraine are making life-or-death decisions every day. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, more than 10 million people have been forced to flee their homes. Most are women and children, with mothers carrying the heavy burden of keeping their families safe amid war.
From sheltering in basements to crossing borders with young children and rebuilding their lives, Ukrainian mothers have shown extraordinary resilience. This Mother’s Day, we share five powerful stories of courage from mothers on the frontlines of war.
Margaryta was pregnant with her son Pavlo when intense bombing began in her home town of Molochansk, southeastern Ukraine. As the situation worsened, she made the difficult decision to leave.
“I spent all my pregnancy hiding from shelling, trying to be as strong as I could,” says Margaryta. “As the situation unfolded, I realised my most important task was to get my family out of there.”
Today, Margaryta and Pavlo live in a centre for displaced women and children, where she receives psychological support to cope with the trauma and stress of war. Margaryta also finds comfort in connecting with other mothers who face similar challenges.
“After sessions with the psychologist and conversations with other mothers, I knew that the rockets would not reach here,” says Margaryta. “A lot of people lost their homes, their lives were shattered, but I know that I have my son and this is most important.”
When the full-scale war reached Bucha, Mariia knew she had to get her children to safety.
“Soldiers shot at us when I tried to drive them out of Bucha,” says Mariia.
To protect her children, she crashed her car, hoping the soldiers would think they were dead.
“We had to sleep in the forest for a night. It was so cold,” she says.
Once her children were safe, Mariia returned to Bucha to help. A veterinarian by training, she cared for both animals and people.
“There were no doctors left in my area. By then Bucha was a city of fear but I would think to myself: ‘I have 300 animals, I have patients, I just don’t have the right to die’.
Now living in Sydney with her children, Mariia keeps their connection to home alive by making Ukrainian pancakes on weekends.
“The food reminds us of being together as a family in Ukraine. We’d eat it together with my husband, who is still there, fighting in the war.”
Olga was forced to flee when missile strikes drew nearer to her neighbourhood in Zaporizhzhia. She had stayed home with her three children for months since the start of the war, but the danger was growing.
“Zaporizhzhia was one of the last places to be hit,” says Olga. “We stayed from February until September, but when the explosions got close to where we lived, I quickly gathered my children, and we left.”
They found safety in Moldova, where they received emergency cash to buy essentials like food and clothes. Now, Olga works night shifts at a carpet factory to support her family.
UNHCR continues to help displaced families like Olga’s with items like solar lamps, hygiene kits and warm clothes for winter. But with no end to the full-scale war in sight, many mothers still need urgent support to keep their children safe and healthy.
Veronika and her daughter Kira fled their home when Kira was just four and a half months old.
“I put her in a sling and carried her across Ukraine, by bus and train,” says Veronika. “Baby, pushchair, rucksack, I was loaded down with luggage.”
Now living in Hungary, Veronika is struggling to make ends meet.
“I’m alone, I’m not working, and I can’t leave Kira on her own,” says Veronika.
For support, Veronika attends a Young Mother’s Club at a community centre, where she receives essential items like diapers for Kira and finds comfort in connecting with other mothers.
“This centre makes all the difference for us...it’s not just about the free diapers. It’s about the social contact I get here.”
When Bogdan, 10, and Victoria, 7, lost their mother to COVID-19 in October 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, their grandmother Tamara travelled to Kharkiv to care for them.
“The children met me at the door of the centre, and I promised them I would never leave them again,” says Tamara.
Now, the family lives in a centre for displaced people in Kharkiv, where UNHCR partners are providing legal assistance for those in need. Tamara is in the process of completing the paperwork to become the legal guardian of her grandchildren.
To help bring stability, Tamara supports her grandchildren with their schoolwork as they attend online classes and cares for their pet dog, Skya.
Buy an empowering gift to help displaced mothers who are making impossible choices to protect their children and keep their hopes for the future alive.