Kyiv shelter houses mothers fleeing abuse and war

A Kyiv shelter is housing mothers and children who have fled domestic violence, displacement and the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The anonymous apartment building has taken in 150 women and children since 2022, according to Natalia Lieshukova, who runs the facility. It can house only six people at a time, and staff say the waiting list is long.

The shelter is funded by the Ukrainian Public Health Foundation, a charity supported by the international nonprofit World Vision.

One resident, identified by the changed name Olena, said she returned to Ukraine after being beaten by her former husband in a European Union country. Now divorced and seeking sole custody of her child, she said she feels “much safer” in Ukraine despite the war.

Another resident, identified by the changed name Khrystyna, moved to Kyiv from a frontline area this year and is expecting a baby girl. She said she had considered returning to a derelict home under Russian bombardment before her sister helped her find a place at the shelter.

The war has increased pressure on Ukrainian social services. World Bank estimates put the poverty rate at 41.6 percent, double its 2021 level.

Halyna Skipalska, executive director of the foundation that runs the shelter, said women with children face overlapping problems including family violence, lack of documents, children’s mental health needs, speech issues and malnutrition.

Staff also described growing demand for speech therapy for children traumatised by war. Lieshukova said two children from Bakhmut stopped speaking after seeing a wall collapse onto people, but later moved with their family to a house in the Chernigiv region and started school.