On Dec. 27 at around 11 a.m., Karina was asleep when a massive crash jolted her awake. Choking on dust, she ran to the next room – and found the roof had collapsed.
A Russian drone had hit Karina’s building not far from Kyiv’s Dorohozhychi metro station, striking between four apartments.
“Like one meter away from me, it just so happened that I didn’t die,” Karina said, showing Kyiv Post what’s left of her apartment nearly two months later.
She had been alone at the time – the friend who was staying with her, out of town. Neighbors were inside their apartments when the strike occurred, and all survived. And thankfully, there was no fire, allowing everyone to rush out of the building.
“I was afraid that the whole building would fall in a second.” Karina said. “I just took my clothes, I took my coat, and I went outside with no other stuff. I didn’t bring any documents, money, laptop, nothing. Just me, and that’s that.”
The apartment, owned by Karina’s family, has been declared uninhabitable – repairs to the roof alone could take up to two years. Government compensation so far has only amounted to roughly $1,000 and Karina isn’t sure if there will be any other help.
Born in Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk region, which is now largely occupied by the Russians, Karina says her family has been affected by the war since 2014. But she focuses on being grateful for what she has.
“I’m blessed that I am alive, I’m blessed that my parents are alive, my friends are alive,” she said.
As Ukraine approaches the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Karina reflects on the ongoing impact. When asked whether she sees the war ending soon, her answer is simple:
“I don’t.”
Photos & Text: Jeremy Dirac