No Place Like Home
Newsweek Europe|March 03 - 10, 2023 (Double Issue)
After one year of war, 17 million displaced Ukrainians face a tough truth: Most will never go back
MICHAEL WASIURA
No Place Like Home

ONE YEAR SINCE THE START OF RUSSIA'S FULLscale invasion, roughly half of Ukraine's pre-war population of 40 million people has been driven from their homes, creating the largest refugee crisis of the 21st century. The big, unanswerable question: When, if ever, will they be able to return home again? As the conflict continues to displace additional Ukrainians every day, the resulting uncertainly has the potential to reshape a continent scarred by its deadliest war in decades.

The experience of Yura Skobolev, a displaced father of five from Ukraine's southern Kherson region, reflects the dilemma that families face. Skobolev, his wife, and children endured eight months of occupation after the war began but were finally, and ironically, forced to flee after Ukrainian forces took back the territory, when Russia began launching retributive artillery strikes from the opposite bank of the Dnipro River.

"When we call our neighbors back in the village, you can hear the cows and chickens in the background," Skobolev tells Newsweek. "The neighbors say, 'Oh, everything here is fine.' Then, five minutes later, they say, 'Give me a minute to get down into the cellar. They're shelling us again.""

Skobolev and his family, unsure of where they will go next, are currently living in temporary housing in Odesa. They are among the millions of displaced Ukrainians who have faced a similar dilemma since the war began. Of those, 8 million are now located in other countries in Europe. Just under 6 million are still in Ukraine-renting apartments in the country's relatively quiet West, staying with relatives who can offer a spare sofa or finding a bed in dormitories set up by aid organizations both international and domestic. Nearly 3 million other Ukrainians, some voluntarily and some not, have migrated to locations within the internationally recognized borders of the Russian Federation.

This story is from the March 03 - 10, 2023 (Double Issue) edition of Newsweek Europe.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the March 03 - 10, 2023 (Double Issue) edition of Newsweek Europe.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM NEWSWEEK EUROPEView All
Ray Romano
Newsweek Europe

Ray Romano

THE MAJOR THING ABOUT NETFLIX'S NO GOOD DEED THAT APPEALED TO Ray Romano was that it was unlike anything he'd done before.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 27, 2024
Has J.K. Rowling Won the Culture War?
Newsweek Europe

Has J.K. Rowling Won the Culture War?

After years of backlash over trans issues, the Harry Potter author has received major business backing

time-read
7 mins  |
December 27, 2024
'This Murder Is a Symbol of the Times'
Newsweek Europe

'This Murder Is a Symbol of the Times'

Conservatives and liberals agree on the state of the health care industry following the killing of Brian Thompson

time-read
4 mins  |
December 27, 2024
The Defense Industry's Fight With ESG
Newsweek Europe

The Defense Industry's Fight With ESG

EUROPEAN DEFENSE COMPANIES, ESPECIALLY smaller businesses, are being blocked from investment they sorely need by sustainability rules, a senior NATO official and several industry figures have said.

time-read
9 mins  |
December 27, 2024
Nothin' Lasts Forever
Newsweek Europe

Nothin' Lasts Forever

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour' ends its record-breaking run..

time-read
3 mins  |
December 27, 2024
SPY IN THE SKY
Newsweek Europe

SPY IN THE SKY

CHINA FACES ACCUSATIONS of ESPIONAGE and WEAPONIZING OUTER SPACE as it BUILDS a NEW OBSERVATORY in CHILE critics say WILL BE USED for MILITARY PURPOSES

time-read
10+ mins  |
December 27, 2024
Margo Martindale
Newsweek Europe

Margo Martindale

\"WHO KNEW THAT A BARREL OF MAPLE SYRUP IS WORTH MORE THAN A barrel of oil?\"

time-read
2 mins  |
December 20, 2024
Malala Yousafzai
Newsweek Europe

Malala Yousafzai

\"AFGHANISTAN IS THE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE world where girls are banned from access to education and women are limited from work.\"

time-read
1 min  |
December 20, 2024
In the Eyes of the Law
Newsweek Europe

In the Eyes of the Law

Jude Law is unrecognizable as an FBI agent on the trail of aneo-Naziterrorist group in real-crime drama The Order

time-read
4 mins  |
December 20, 2024
AMERICA'S Most Responsible Companies 2025
Newsweek Europe

AMERICA'S Most Responsible Companies 2025

IN THE FACE OF ISSUES LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE and wage inequality, consumers care about the impact of the businesses they interact with and companies are responding.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 20, 2024