A missile strike forced Natalia to flee Ukraine with her mother and beloved dogs

“I saw with my own eyes a missile attack on a building across the street from my house, and that’s when I decided to leave,” explains Natalia, a Ukrainian refugee from Odesa.

Comforted by her dogs, Charlie and Tapas, Natalia shares that two days after witnessing the attack, she and her mother gathered the dogs, essential paperwork, a bag of clothes, and the dog crate and started the nearly 24-hour train journey to the Przemyśl train station in eastern Poland.

When we met in November, the family was waiting for a train connection to Warsaw before traveling to their final destination: Oslo, Norway. They were joined by Natalia’s daughter who left Ukraine more than a year ago and has temporary protection status in Norway. The Norwegian government offers Ukrainian citizens one year of protection status, renewable for up to three years. Temporary protection offers Ukrainian refugees access to public health services, children's education enrollment, and adult right-to-work permits. 

During the conversation, Olena Dankiv, a protection monitor with UNHCR in Rzeszow, Poland, translated for Natalia. Olena is also from Ukraine and lived in Poland when the full-scale Russian invasion started in February 2022. “I wanted to give my small contribution to Ukrainian refugees, and I'm a person who enjoys helping people,” shares Olena. “So I just try to do what I can to support them, even if it’s just to give them a smile, a hug, some basic information —  people need it.” Her grandparents, mother and sister have remained in western Ukraine and help support internally displaced families there.  

As a protection monitor, Olena spends her working hours at the Przemyśl train station speaking with Ukrainians. Przemyśl station is a popular point to enter and leave western Ukraine. She interviews Ukrainians passing through the station and collects critical information about where refugees are going, their protection status, whether they are employed, and whether their children are enrolled in school—all vital information for UNHCR to continue delivering care and protection in the region.

According to Olena, Natalia is unique among the refugees she meets in her daily work at the station. Unlike many Ukrainians, nearly three years into the war, it’s the first time Natalia has fled Ukraine and she has no plans to return until it’s safe.

“It's really hard to travel with dogs, and It was really hard for them,” says Natalia. “They didn't want to leave the house, but with all the missiles, the dogs were crying.”

A teacher by profession, Natalia plans to try to adapt and learn Norwegian as soon as possible and hopes to find a job once settled in.

“I didn’t want to leave Ukraine but the situation forced us to go,” says Natalia. “I live on the Black Sea and it is warm there and nice, and we have a house,” she continues with a bright smile. “We’re going to Norway, but it will be cold.”

How can you help...

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, supports the full journey of refugees who have been forced to flee violence, war and persecution. Our donors help refugees in their greatest time of need with shelter, food, water and medical care, and their support builds awareness for resettled refugees living in the U.S. With your help, more refugees will have the opportunity to build peaceful lives and give their families a bright future.