Luhansk: Coping with the scars and strain of loss

For Tatyana, who has spent all her life in a small town not far from Luhansk, the day her adult son disappeared due to the conflict is a mark that will never fade. “I gave birth to my son on 31 December, and last 30 December I marked three years since he went missing,” she says, her voice trembling with emotion. Even though Tatyana has received information that her son was killed as a result of the armed conflict, she does not lose hope that he is still alive. The uncertainty of his fate has cast a long shadow over her family, leaving them in a painful limbo between hope and despair.

Despite her grief, Tatyana needed to become a main breadwinner for her loved ones. She cares for her daughter, who struggles with mental health issues, and supports her two grandsons, who are living reminders of their missing father. When Tatyana received assistance from the ICRC for the first time in 2025, she immediately shared it with her family. “I divided everything equally. I couldn’t do it any other way – they are all I have,” she says.

Tatyana also sent food and supplies to her grandson, who is studying at university, to help him during his time away from home. “It turned out that my grandson had never tried buckwheat before, but when he did, he loved it! He even shared it with his dorm mates and now they’re all asking him to cook it again. And the razors I sent – he was so surprised. He couldn’t believe I sent so many.”

With the help of our local operational partner, the ICRC was able to provide Tatyana and her family with additional help that makes their lives easier during tough times. “This support means so much to us,” Tatyana says. “It has helped me save money and buy other essentials for our daily lives.”

Tatyana’s experience is a reminder of the impact that the armed conflict continues to have on people. She is just one of tens of thousands who continue to live in uncertainty, hoping for news about the fate of their loved ones while trying to rebuild their lives, one step at a time. Humanitarian aid is key to helping families like hers to keep going after a loved one, whose livelihood they depended on, goes missing. 

The ICRC has been present on the ground to deliver vital humanitarian assistance to those in need affected by the armed conflict since 2014. It remains the only international humanitarian organization present in Luhansk.