Stories of Hope: Ukrainian Refugees Seeking Safety in Moldova
Rocket attacks on Ukrainian cities continue relentlessly, day after day, leaving behind ruins and tragedy. The Russian army indiscriminately bombards both civilian and military targets. In this chaos, innocent lives are lost daily. People are losing everything: homes, families, and dreams. This war, fueled by Russia’s imperial ambitions, brings only suffering and despair. Ukrainians, driven by this unjust brutality, are forced to leave their homeland, seeking refuge in other countries, with Moldova being a frequent destination for those fleeing the destruction.
At the Chișinău train station, trains from Kyiv arrive daily, bringing refugees of all ages—people who carry the burden of loss but also the hope of a new beginning. Among them is Elena, a 29-year-old woman from Kirovograd. Having no family and raised in an orphanage, Elena spent her last few months in Odesa, a city that has been heavily bombed in recent days, hoping the war wouldn’t reach there. However, when the silence was shattered by the deafening sound of explosions, she realized she had no choice but to leave.
Her decision was swift. In the middle of the night, Elena boarded the train to Chișinău, arriving in the Moldovan capital the next morning—a place unknown to her but one that offered safety. At the station, she was met by volunteers from the “Safe Space” UNFPA/Homecare initiative and guided to a refugee center. Here, her story began to take shape.
“It wasn’t hard for me to leave,” Elena says calmly, “I don’t have anyone. If I had a family, maybe it would have been harder. As it is, I just decided to leave, and I left.” She believes Moldova could become her home for a while. She is determined to adapt, to work, and to rebuild her life. Social workers provided her with all the necessary information: how to apply for temporary protection, where to find work, and how to access legal and medical services.
Elena recalls that she wanted to fight for Ukraine but was not accepted into the army. Instead, she received psychological support and is determined to start a new life in Chișinău, far from the sounds of war, but with Ukraine always in her heart. Today, safe at last, she prepares for a new chapter, hoping that one day she will see her country free again.
This activity is part of the “Improving Access to Essential Health and Protection Services for Refugees from Ukraine and Host Communities” program, supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA Moldova) in Moldova and funded by the European Union.
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