in Ukraine . Also in the heads of those who live it every day. In kyiv, Sashaa French teacher, sums it up crudely: “We talk about the night bombings as if they were something normal”. It’s not a metaphor. It’s routine.
After more than four years since the beginning of the , the psychological wear and tear is evident. According to a survey by the official medical portal Helsi, only 5% of Ukrainians consider themselves to be in good mental health. The rest live with anxiety, fatigue or depression.
A winter that marked a turning point
Sasha describes last winter as the worst of her life. Temperatures down to -20°C, power outages, lack of heating and constant attacks. All at the same time.
This context has direct consequences. If applicable: almost daily migraines, diagnosis of anxiety and depression, ongoing medical testing, including measurement of cortisol (the stress hormone).
It is not an isolated case. In their environment, talking about mental health is no longer taboo. It is necessary.
During his classes, His students tell how they organize video calls with therapiststhey go to support groups or look for solutions to reduce anxiety, including turning their pets into emotional assistance animals.
Live in fear… but continue with the routine
The psychological impact does not always translate into isolation. Sometimes the opposite happens.
One of his students she signs up for activities to not be alone. Another cannot leave her dog at home for fear of an attack or arson on infrastructure.
And then there is the case of her friend, who fled to Vienna with her baby. Upon returning, he suffered panic attacks and depression. The constant is that fear does not disappear, it only changes form.
The normalization of the unbearable
Perhaps the most disturbing data is not clinical, but social. Sasha explains it like this: “We almost never talk about the bombings. It’s as if they were an everyday occurrence”. When walking with her son, Sasha wonders if others feel the same: apathy, tiredness, fear. The answer, according to studies, is yes.
Children at the center of the conflict
Beyond emotional exhaustion, there is another especially sensitive front: childhood. Various international organizations have denounced the deportation of Ukrainian minors to Russian territory. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin in 2023 for the “illegal deportation of children.”
Official figures from the Ukrainian government speak of 20,000 children deported, 1.6 million under Russian control and only 2,053 have returned. The president Volodymyr Zelensky He has insisted that his return is key to any peace agreement.
The invisible impact of war
Sasha doesn’t just watch. He also feels that time passes faster in war. She says that her mother, after returning from France, said she felt older. She perceives it too. It is not an isolated sensation: chronic stress accelerates physical wear and tearaccording to multiple medical studies
Still, try to stick to small routines: morning sun, a hot shower, coffee. They are simple gestures, but they work.
Despite everything, there is an idea that is repeated among those who live there: wars end. But there is no calendar. Meanwhile, life continues in a strange kind of balance. Between normality and trauma. Between fear and routine. Sasha sums it up without drama, almost with resignation: “You just have to resist”.
