When war takes a parent: supporting the Ukrainian children left behind
Thousands of children in Ukraine have lost their mother or father since Russia’s full-scale invasion. Behind every number is a child trying to make sense of a world that has suddenly changed. In this blog, Valeriia Abda, co-founder of Eurochild member Children of Heroes, shares a few stories with us.
Russia’s war against Ukraine has taken thousands of lives. And when a parent is killed, the impact doesn’t stop there; it reshapes a child’s whole world. To support children who have lost a parent because of the war, the Children of Heroes Charity Fund works directly with families across the country.
Anastasiia was only five when Russian forces occupied her hometown in the Chernihiv region. Her dad, Oleksandr, worked as a civilian driver. One day, he tried to help relatives evacuate. On the way back, Russian soldiers opened fire on his car. He tried to explain that he was a civilian and that his kids were waiting for him at home. They didn’t listen. Now Anastasiia still asks her mum when her dad is coming back. At night, she falls asleep holding his photo. Stories like Anastasiia’s are becoming painfully common across Ukraine.
Another family had already been through war once. Back in 2014, Svitlana and her husband Viktor had to leave Donetsk and start over somewhere else. Years later, they moved to Kyiv, hoping life would finally settle down. Viktor was a doctor working in a clinic. During one of the missile attacks on the city, he was killed at work. Now Svitlana is raising their two daughters on her own. One of them says she wants to become a doctor too — just like her dad.
For families like Svitlana’s, support goes far beyond financial help. Children often need long-term psychological care, help with school, and a sense of a normal childhood again.
In another family, a little boy will grow up knowing his father only through photos and stories. Anton joined Ukraine’s territorial defence right after the full-scale invasion began. He was killed during a combat mission in 2022, only weeks after his son was born.
For these children, the war doesn’t end when the fighting moves somewhere else. The loss stays with them as they grow up.
That’s where the Children of Heroes Charity Fund steps in. The Fund works with families across Ukraine and also operates internationally, with offices in the United States and the Netherlands. Its programmes are designed to support children who have lost one or both parents because of the war throughout their childhood. The organisation provides psychological and trauma support, educational assistance, including tutoring, school supplies, and scholarships, as well as mentorship programmes, summer camps, and social activities that help children reconnect with theirpeers. Families can also receive humanitarian and medical assistance, while case managers work with each child individually to make sure their needs are met over time.
Because when a child loses a parent, they shouldn’t have to face the future alone.
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