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First Person: ‘I fear I will never see my husband again’ |



Ms. Vladimirova is an accountant and former teacher of Kharkiv University. With her daughter and mother-in-law, she arrived in Lisbon on a humanitarian flight organized by the Portuguese government on March 14.

With the help of volunteers, they found a local family willing to share their apartment while they searched for official refugee status. More than 22,700 other Ukrainians, and third-country nationals formerly living in Ukraine, have been granted temporary protection in Portugal.

Ms. Vladimirova spoke to UN News on March 24, a month since Russia invaded Ukraine.

“I come from Kharkiv, which is now a very dangerous city. That is the heart of this war. Today is an emotional day for me, because it’s been a month since I’ve been away from home. I can still picture our apartment, and all the furniture we had to leave behind.

Before the war started, I suggested that we leave the country, but my husband said “no, it’s okay, this is the 21st century, how can war happen?”. But, just in case, I have prepared our documents. Then on February 24, my husband woke me up and said “it’s starting!”.

When we left the city, we did not leave Ukraine immediately, because we thought we would be able to return home in a few days.

In the end we had to move between many cities of Ukraine, where many people helped us. Our first stop was Dnipro, where one of my husband’s co-workers let us stay in his apartment. But we heard the whistle after the first day and decided to move on.

My husband was told that he was not allowed to leave the country, and he asked me to leave without him. I said I loved him, and couldn’t leave him. This is in Kryvyi Rih, and he’s still there.

Relying on the comfort of strangers

But I had to leave. I told him that he should take his mother out of Kharkiv and with us to Kryvyi Rih, and then we plan to leave the country, Oleksandra, my mother-in-law and I.

Before arriving in Portugal, we drove to the Ukrainian border and crossed to Romania. We didn’t know anyone there, and we asked the Red Cross for help. They found us a place to stay overnight.

We then drove to Bucharest, where a humanitarian flight had been arranged, to bring us, and other Ukrainian refugees, to Portugal.

We were helped by many volunteers along the way. In Romania, they would make us breakfast, without asking for anything in return. In Portugal, volunteers met us at the airport and helped us find an apartment.

Our host in Lisbon, Maria, is very beautiful and kind. She explained all about Portugal, and what I should do to find a school for my daughter, and how to apply for a job. Her friends also helped, by giving us clothes.

Even though she was only four years old, my daughter knew that there was a terrible war going on in her hometown, that there was a shooting. She asks Grandma why her grandfather is not here. She says he should go to Portugal because Kharkiv is too dangerous.

My biggest fear is never to see my husband again.”

This interview has been edited for clarity and length



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