KIEV One of Ukraine’s many heroes is a mother of five children Lesya Lytvynova49. He volunteered for the Ukrainian army on the very first day of a full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.
The beginning of the war was shocking for the family.
– We didn’t think Russia would attack Kiev. My husband and I left the children at our home near Kiev and went to my workplace in the city. It was a fatal mistake.
The attack began, and a curfew was declared in Kyiv. Parents couldn’t get to their children anymore.
In the morning, shocking news awaited: the bridges had been blown up and the Russians had occupied the area where the Lytvynovs’ home was. The youngest of the children was only one and a half years old at the time.
Relief came only after three weeks. The children had seized the unofficial opportunity to evacuate. The family’s then 13-year-old son had taken primary responsibility for his siblings and acted as mother and father to them.
The children were left without support at the most important moment, Lytvynova says with tears in her throat now, a thousand days after the events.
– I know they haven’t forgiven me, he sighs.
Lytvynova talks about her children’s liberation in a video:
Today, Tuesday, it has been a thousand days since the full-scale attack by Russia. The attack completely derailed the life of Lesja Lytvynova and her family.
During the war’s terrifying first three weeks, the family avoided the worst. The Russians were not as brutal in the area of the family home as in Butša, where people were killed and raped indiscriminately.
However, the fate of Lytvynova’s children left an indelible mark. He had intended to continue working for the aid organization, but decided otherwise.
– When the first person came to the office in the morning, my husband and I left the keys with him and headed to the nearest recruitment point. That’s where we got the weapons.
The choice was difficult: either wait for the children in the occupied zone or go to the front with a husband.
When the children got to safety after three weeks, things had progressed irreversibly.
– It was another difficult moment for my children. I was allowed to see them for a day in Kiev before we sent them to safety in western Ukraine.
Lytvynova ended up at the front together with her husband for two years. The couple worked as pioneers.
The children kept trying to get their mother to come home, but Lytvynova says she couldn’t do it.
– We were in very difficult places. Even one person is more valuable than gold there. I couldn’t say I’m leaving because I have kids. Everyone had children waiting at home.
This is how Lytvynova’s now 25-year-old daughter Polina thought about her mother joining the war:
The departure was near
The commanders hesitated over the decision of Lytvynova and her husband to fight together. The risk that the parents of five children would die together was high. Lytvynova does not regret the decision.
– It was important to know each other and take the next step knowing that the person behind you knows what you are doing, Lytvynova says.
Death came close once.
– The projectile exploded above us. Both were injured and we were evacuated. The situation was so shocking that it is a miracle that we survived, says Lytvynova.
Lytvynova has now returned to Kyiv to run an aid organization, where her eldest daughter also works today. The organization works with medical aid.
Criticism of the current management
Ukraine’s biggest problem right now is the lack of soldiers. Lytvynova blames the country’s leadership for it.
– Our administration does not honestly say how bad the situation is.
According to him, the 24/7 war broadcast on Ukrainian TV gives a distorted picture of the war.
– We should say directly that “without you we will die. Everyone has to step forward and take their cards to the deck”.
In Lytvynova’s opinion, the administration tries to please everyone and is careful not to anger the voters.
According to a recent survey, 88 percent of Ukrainians still believe to victory. At the same time, another survey tellsthat a growing number would accept territorial concessions if they would lead to a lasting peace.
It is well understood in Ukraine that a frozen conflict would only mean a pause before Russia’s next attack, says Lytvynova.
– The next attack will be terrible, and I’m not sure if we and the world will use that time to prepare.
For those who follow the war on TV, the matter is simple: when you turn off the TV, there is no war, says Lytvynova. According to him, it is a trap that Europe and the United States will probably step into.
– It is still not understood that this is not a war over territories. Here, we are fighting over the worldview and the world’s security architecture.
According to Lytvynova, the mental state at the front is difficult due to fatigue. He emphasizes that it is not about giving up slowly.
– Many would need a breather. There you fall physically and mentally. And we feel it is unfair that the Kapakas in Kyiv are full of young people, but there is no break from the front.
Lytvynova believes that the war can still turn in Ukraine’s favor.
– If I didn’t believe, I wouldn’t be in Ukraine anymore. But I’m still here.