Through partnerships with local aid organisations, Cordaid supports thousands of Ukrainians affected by the war. In Drohobych, Caritas Ukraine runs programmes for people in particularly vulnerable situations, such as displaced families, the elderly, and veterans who are often struggling with the effects of severe trauma.
Father Ihor Kozankevych proudly shows the photographs of the renovated Nazareth Centre. Together with a group of volunteers, the head of the local Caritas branch transformed a dilapidated Soviet-era military complex into a sanctuary for war-affected Ukrainians.
Nestled in the snowy forests outside the western Ukrainian city of Drohobych, the centre now includes living quarters, a medical facility, a restaurant, a church, stables, a childcare centre, and multiple spaces where residents can participate in group activities.
Here, a dedicated team of around forty staff members and volunteers tirelessly supports 140 people deeply affected by the war. Cordaid uses a portion of the proceeds from the 2022 Giro555 fundraising campaign for Ukraine to help fund the activities of its sister organisation, Caritas, in Drohobych and many other cities across Ukraine.
Rocket Attack
Father Ihor sits among a dozen men arranged in a square formation in one of the larger rooms of the main building. Their ages range from twenty to fifty, but they all share the same weary posture and sorrowful gaze.
A recent rocket attack on a nearby power station has left the area without electricity. However, a roaring generator behind the building—supplied by Cordaid—keeps the centre warm and well-lit. The priest kindly encourages the veterans to share their stories.
Volodymyr keeps his arms crossed tightly around his chest, staring into the room’s far end. When it’s his turn to speak, his entire body trembles violently. ‘I served for eighteen years,’ he says, barely audible. ‘Thirteen of those years were spent fighting on the front lines. Even abroad. In Iraq, for example.’
‘When you fight in a war, you live in a different reality.’
Shellshock
This is trauma in its most extreme, physical form—once called shell shock, a term coined during the First World War. While the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder often remain hidden to the outside world, tormenting the lonely minds of veterans, Volodymyr’s trauma manifests visibly through his whole body.
His voice quivers, and his hands shake as he recounts his most recent experiences in eastern Ukraine. ‘I was wounded four times. The last time, I was paralysed. In the hospital, I thought: Can I even go on living? I didn’t know anymore.’
Due to his injuries, Volodymyr had to leave the front to recover in the relative calm of western Ukraine. But this proved to be an impossible challenge.
‘I started using drugs. I became unbearable, hopeless. My sister brought me to the Caritas centre. She thought, “At least there he can die in peace.” That was all the hope she had left for me. I could barely speak—I only knew how to curse. I had also suffered a stroke. The doctors gave me two weeks to live.’
A Different Reality
Across from Volodymyr, 27-year-old Roman slouches on a couch. Compared to some of the other veterans in the room, his time at the front was relatively short—one year of serving in the east. Yet, it was enough to shatter his life.
‘When you fight in a war, you live in a different reality,’ he explains. ‘Once you’re home, you can’t connect with everyday life or the people around you. I became heavily addicted. I had never felt such complete hopelessness before. I saw no way out. My life was slipping away.’
Friends and family tried everything to pull Roman from his downward spiral, but nothing worked. ‘I was unreachable. But one day, my mother asked me to attend church with her. Out of respect, I went. There, I met the people from Caritas. They took me by the hand and led me down a different path. I could never have done this alone. Here, I am learning to cope with my trauma and to live again.’
Like Roman, 26-year-old Nazar eagerly enlisted in the army, determined to defend his country. He was deployed to Donetsk to hold the front line. ‘We reached a river, and the Russians were on the other side,’ he says in a near whisper. ‘I was injured in the shelling and taken to a hospital in Dnipro. When I returned to the front, I was wounded again. After that, I couldn’t stay.’
‘In my dreams, I was still there. Every night.’
A Recurring Nightmare
To help him get through the day, Nazar was prescribed medication by a psychiatrist. Unfortunately, it did little to ease his suffering. Nightmares tormented him every night, dragging him back to the battlefield.
‘In my dreams, I was still there. Every night. When I realised the pills weren’t working, I started drinking heavily. The children cried constantly. I argued with my wife, and she threw me out. I stayed with my brother for a while before eventually coming here.’
Nazar glances briefly at Father Ihor, who meets his shy gaze with a warm smile. ‘I’ve been here for seven months now, and I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol,’ Nazar says proudly.
Long-Term Support is Crucial
Every new day of war deepens the trauma in a society already fractured in countless ways. People who have witnessed or suffered unimaginable horrors need support to reconnect with the world around them—to find joy in life again and reclaim their dignity. The work of Caritas in Drohobych will remain essential in Ukraine for years, even after the fighting ends.
And the support works. Even Volodymyr, once consumed by his PTSD symptoms, now sees a future ahead. ‘It’s almost unbelievable, but I can play football again,’ he says cautiously. ‘And with some effort, I can even speak and take on small tasks, like helping other addicted veterans at the centre.’
Key Facts and Figures
- Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale invasion in 2022, more than 1 million Ukrainians have served in the military.
- 88% of these are men, while 12% are women.
- The number of veterans is rising rapidly. Unofficial estimates suggest that between 100,000 and 120,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been wounded or demobilised.
- 70% of veterans do not know where to seek support upon returning home.
- At the end of 2024, 3.7 million people remained displaced within Ukraine, while a further 6 million had sought refuge abroad. Since the war began, Caritas Ukraine has helped nearly 5 million people.
- The Dutch Giro555 campaign for Ukraine was one of history’s most successful fundraising efforts in the Netherlands, raising nearly €185 million.
Story and photos by Mickael Franci, editor at Cordaid’s Corporate Communication team.