Russian invasion taking a mental toll in Kyiv

A Ukrainian woman keeping in contact with a family in Gisborne has updated them on her situation in the war-ravaged city of Kyiv.

The woman, Yulia, speaks of the mental health toll the Russian invasion, now into its third month, is taking on her.

David Walters lived for several years in Kyiv in happier times in the early 2000s and he and his family have kept in touch with Yulia.

She has agreed for her letters to be published in the Gisborne Herald.

Yulia and her family have survived a horrendous ordeal — shortages, deaths of neighbours and seemingly random bombings of civilian populations — caused by the Russian invasion and some semblance of normality is reappearing in Kyiv, the wear and tear on her mental state is clearly showing.

She has returned to full-time work but refers to shortages such as fuel, terrifying battles still taking place and an aversion to reading the news.

“You cannot even imagine how important yours and David's support is for me these days,” she writes.

“Unfortunately, I failed to keep my mental health in normal condition and allowed depression to occupy my mind.

“I'm on medication now and do hope it helps in some near weeks.

“As you know we've gone back to Kyiv and I even go back to the office fulltime.

“I cut the time for news-reading because it makes my mental condition worse.

“The situation in Kyiv has become more normal, a lot of people have returned. The subway works, some of the ground transport (staff) have also returned to work, some restaurants are open and the shelves of supermarkets are full of products with some exceptions. For example, we are observing a deficit of salt.

“The main salt mines and fabrics (factories) are located in Donetsk and Kherson regions and both these regions are under missiles or occupied.

“ The second huge problem is the fuel crisis. It's impossible to buy fuel for individuals — only for enterprises with specific cards.

“The most terrifying battles are going in eastern and south, according to official information. Each day we lose nearly 50 human lives.

“On my position, one of my duties is to collect and analyse programme data.

“Each time when I have to use data from Mariupol, Kherson, Luhansk, Slavyansk and other cities that were destroyed or occupied, I start crying.

“For me, these cities are not just points on the map — they were my colleagues' homes that are gone now.

“Today I saw news that New Zealand military trainers started training sessions for Ukrainians on how to use specific weapons that NZ sent to Ukraine for defence.

“David once said that New Zealand is too small to do something that could change the situation. Well, it is not.

“Hugs and love from Kyiv.”