Russia-Ukraine war: Kakhovka Dam breach another blow for Invercargill-based Ukrainian who escaped warzone

Hannah Yurasova has written about her uncertain future as someone in New Zealand on the two-year Special Ukraine Visa, and amid news her home city of Nova Kakhovka in southern Ukraine is among those flooded by the dramatic Kakhovka dam breach this month.

Earlier this month, Kakhovka Dam in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian city of Nova Kakhovka was breached - data from independent agencies has matched residents’ reports of the sound of an explosion and the sight of a flash of light - with thousands evacuated as farmland, villages, towns and cities flooded, animals drowned and power and clean water lost.

At least 52 people have died and more than 30 are missing.

For Invercargill woman Hannah Yurasova, the catastrophe that originated in the city she once called home was yet another blow in a 16-month period which saw her endure, and then narrowly escape, a warzone before losing her husband suddenly weeks after they reached safety in New Zealand.

And it was a reminder of the uncertainty she and others who came to New Zealand under the Special Ukraine Visa face as the months tick down on their two-year visa, and war continues in their homeland.

Unlike those who come to New Zealand under the Refugee Quota Programme, they do not have permanent residence status here.

This is her message to the New Zealand Government.

I lived in Nova Kakhovka with my husband, Leonid, and son, Igor - a quiet city in Ukraine nestled by the gentle waters of the Dnieper River. I found solace there, although it wasn’t where my heart was.

Our previous home was in Crimea, an idyllic haven embraced by the warmth of the Black Sea, but we were forced to flee when it was annexed by Russia in 2014.

In Nova Kakhovka, we started rebuilding our lives, that was until early 2022 - the beginning of our nightmare.

Gunshots and bombings filled the city as Russian forces invaded and seized control.

Many towns and cities across Ukraine have been damaged by shelling since Russia began a full-scale war on its neighbour last year, including in Hannah Yurasova's home city of Nova Kakhovka - now occupied by Russia. This photo shows damage from Russian shelling in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk last August. Photo / David Guttenfelder / The New York Times

Once again we were faced with being in the land of our invaders, like many we had no choice but to flee, leaving behind the remnants of our shattered new life.

The New Zealand Government said they offered “unprecedented scale of humanitarian support for the Ukrainian refugee crisis”, providing entry through work visas for Ukrainian families of New Zealanders.

My daughter, Victoria, and her husband, Cory, helped us escape. And finally, I felt a glimmer of hope had emerged - to flee to New Zealand.

However, life can be unfair and cruel.

After arriving in New Zealand, my husband, Leonid, already weakened by the stress of war, suffered a devastating fall, breaking his hip.

Despite undergoing surgery, he passed away a short time later to cancer, leaving me without his tender touch and beautiful smile.

Just when I thought life couldn’t deal another blow, the hydroelectric dam in Nova Kakhovka was bombed, flooding our city.

I can only imagine the destruction the flood has caused to the city, to people’s lives, and what has become of our already damaged home that had become a symbol of our fractured existence.

I try to hold it together for Igor and me but if I am being honest I worry excessively about our future. It usually hits in the dead of night when I am unable to sleep.

It is difficult to envision what the future holds, as fear grips me whenever I think about what will happen when our visas expire next April.

Will we be forced to leave?

We’ve seen no glimpse of that “unprecedented scale of support”.

We were never given refugee status, and instead, the Government’s response starkly contrasts the assistance provided by other countries.

Leonid’s brother’s family sought refuge in Germany, along with one million other Ukrainians. They were offered integration programmes, initial housing, language courses, job placement, and financial support to meet their basic needs.

Hannah Yurasova, second from left, pictured in New Zealand with her late husband Leonid, left, and her daughter Victoria, second from right, son-in-law Cory, and grandsons Elijah, front left, and Micah.

As one of the 598 Ukrainians refugees who fled to New Zealand, I often wonder why the Government fails to acknowledge us as such.

And, now I am terrified that at any moment, our life will be torn from us once again, just as it was before - why prolong our agony with all of this uncertainty?

I live aimlessly and hopelessly, haunted not just by the war but also the cold loneliness of missing my beloved husband.

If the war ever ends, our apartment will likely be flooded, destroyed, or worse, still under Russian control - stolen from our hands.

War is brutal and never changes.

In this handout photo taken from video released by Russian-controlled administration of Kherson Region on June 7, floodwaters can be seen in the central square of Nova Kakhovka. Photo / via AP

I just want some form of peace and a small glimmer of hope to hold on to. With no family in Ukraine we are refugees, we have nowhere else to go.

New Zealand is the place where my family is, where Leonid’s ashes are scattered.

My son Igor is with me, and my daughter Victoria, her husband Cory, and my two grandchildren live here.

Truly, this is where my family is - where my heart is.

Former Immigration Minister Michael Wood responds:

My thoughts are with the people of Ukraine, both here and overseas, during this difficult time. Russia’s horrific invasion of Ukraine is an international outrage with profound humanitarian consequences.

Our Government’s response has not only included the condemnation of Russia’s actions, but significant practical support for Ukraine, including the introduction of the 2022 Special Ukraine Visa.

This is the largest special visa category we have established in decades to support an international humanitarian effort. It allows for our Ukrainian community in Aotearoa to bring in their immediate families.

Successful applicants are granted a two-year visa with work rights, or study rights if they are 18 or younger.

It’s designed to help people escape the current conflict and to shelter here in the hope they can return home when the war ends.

People currently in New Zealand who hold Special Ukraine Visas expiring soon are able to apply for another two-year visa, which will give them certainty over the short-term about their ability to shelter in New Zealand while the war continues.

The community support model established reflected the requests from the community at the time.

Special Ukraine Visa holders can access support once they are in New Zealand, including free English language courses and a free initial health check.

The usual fees for the visa were waived, and people on the visa are eligible to work, while children and young people can attend school.

Their visa sponsor in New Zealand is responsible for their accommodation and living costs while they are in New Zealand.

Earlier this year, after consultation with community representatives, I made changes to the visa which have enabled a wider range of family to be sponsored to come to New Zealand, and to enable non-Ukrainians in New Zealand to provide financial support to help sponsor an eligible Ukrainian person.

Since becoming Minister of Immigration, I have continued to engage with the Ukrainian community on the future of the visa and have recently met with [advocacy group] Mahi for Ukraine.

I’ve advised them officials are developing advice on the future of the 2022 Special Ukraine Visa for consideration in the coming months.

• Wood provided this comment before he resigned as a minister on Wednesday. Andrew Little is the new Immigration Minister.