Episode 9- From Kharkiv, Sumy, Bucha to Balbriggan

I spoke to some women living in Balbriggan having fled the war in Ukraine. All were grateful for the response both by the Irish state but also the Irish people for their support in helping people to find safety in Ireland. I spoke to Nadia and her daughter Ivana who fled Bucha just as the Russians arrived by air to invade Hostomel Airport. Nadia has lived in Ireland for 22 years and went to Bucha to see her daughter Ivanna and grandchildren for a holiday. They saw the Russian helicopters and troops, just as they fled. Slightly larger than Balbriggan, Bucha was a town of 30,000 on the edge of Kyiv was occupied by Russian troops for just over a month. Just over 700 were killed during the occupation. Only when the Russians left did the reality become clear with dead bodies on the streets and mass graves in the woods. The town became known throughout the world as a result of this war crime. Since then, many more crimes have been committed. Olesia has been living in Ireland for 21 years after working as an English and French teacher in Sumy. She moved to Ireland to work with a logistics company working in both English and French markets. In February 2022, she was joined by her sister Viktoria and two children who fled Ukraine upon the invasion by Russia. They discuss their integration and observations. Before the war, Kharkiv had a population of 1.5 million. In the first months of the war, only 300 thousand remained. People left the city en masse. Julia who also lives in Balbriggan and is now working with Bank of Ireland, came from Ukraine. She was reluctant to leave her home city of Kharkiv. She was resolute in the first days of the war that she would say and help rebuild the country, but like so many, she changed her mind. I discuss with her what changed to make her leave.