Far from the frontline, married Ukrainian women who fled the Russian invasion are enduring their own war of separation and instability.
Natalia Verdiev, a mother of two young boys, is among an estimated five million people to have left Ukraine since Russian forces invaded on 24 February.
And because men aged from 18 to 60 are banned from leaving the country, millions of displaced women – in particular those with young children – are fighting their own quiet battle, hundreds and thousands of miles from home.
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Natalia is now living in Poland with her two children, while her husband, Ilyas, remains in Kyiv
Speaking from Poland, Natalia, whose Kyiv-based husband Ilyas is a regular contributor to the Ukraine War Diaries podcast, explains. “I found a Ukrainian community, a Ukrainian centre. There are a lot of Ukrainians. Going to group therapy, we are talking about everything. The war, our families, our husbands, our kids, our pain, our happiness.
“Sometimes we are crying. Sometimes we are laughing, and it is a great time, because I can share my emotions with somebody.
“I am trying to be strong. I need to be like that because I have two kids, I have my mum here, I need to be strong. I don’t have another way.”
Natalia’s testimony mirrors that of Oksana who’s been recording audio diaries since March. She is currently in Brussels.
Oksana (second from the left) is now in Brussels, and has been recording her audio diaries since March
“Here, I think that the sounds of the war are a little muffled,” she says, adding that people are trying to adapt to their new world.
“For example, my friend’s sister, she’s a therapist and she does volunteer work for women who suffered from the trauma of being disconnected from their husbands.
“When you start thinking about how many families have been influenced by this war, how many people will break up, and how many people will not find ways back to each other, it’s just terrifying.”
From the creators of Sky News’ award-winning Storycast, Ukraine War Diaries is a weekly podcast following those living on Europe’s new frontline, and those who have escaped it.
Producer: Robert Mulhern
Podcast promotion producer: David Chipakupaku