Refuge and Resilience: A Family's Journey Amidst Conflict

In the regional capital of Sumy, North Ukraine, Margaryta Husakova, a mother of eight, reflects on her uncertain future after losing family members in a Russian drone attack. As Russian troops advance, the threat looms closer, increasing the challenges for displaced families seeking safety and stability.

Margaryta Husakova, with her arm immobilized by an orthopedic device, sat nervously smoking on the staircase of a refugee shelter in Sumy, struggling to envision a future marred by loss and displacement.

In May, tragedy struck when Husakova lost her mother, sister, and uncle in a Russian drone strike near Bilopillia, west of Sumy. Despite talks of peace, the war approaches Sumy, a city of 250,000 near the Russian border, forcing Husakova and her family to flee their native Bilopillia as it becomes a target for Russian forces.

With Sumy now under threat, Vyacheslav, Husakova’s father, voices urgent concern for their children’s safety as Russian troops steadily advance. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in his latest address, assured that Ukrainian forces are making progress in pushing back the invaders, though no specifics were provided.