More than 6 million people have been forced to leave Ukraine since Russia launched its illegal invasion in 2022, but some people have built new lives elsewhere while remaining determined to one day rebuild their homeland.
The 25-year-old from Kryvyi Rih in eastern Ukraine spent years honing her craft and almost had the money she needed to realise her goal."I thought it would be over very, very soon," Ms Tataryna tells the ABC as Ukraine marks a grim milestone — 1,000 days since the war began."I don't remember how it is not to be a refugee, how it is to not be worried about your family," she says.
"I thought it would be cool to open something here … something Ukrainian where women can meet, can do some business, you know, meetings, social events."The vegan cafe sells Ukrainian wine and traditional meals, with a map of Ukraine on the wall a proud reminder of home. "I would say more than half of my friends are in the war now and a lot of my friends have already died," she says.The war in Ukraine is the deadliest in Europe since World War II but neither Russia or Ukraine release official casualty statistics.
The United Nations estimated that Ukraine's population has declined by 10 million people, or by a quarter, since the war began.Ukrainian Emergency Service via APDeputy Director of the Russia and Eurasia Programme and Head of the Ukraine Forum at policy think-tank Chatham House, Orysia Lutsevych, says a major challenge for Ukraine would be replenishing its military ranks.
She says the next major challenge for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the incoming Donald Trump administration.to bring the conflict to a quick end.ABC News: Andrew GreavesShe says any move that would see Ukraine surrender territory Russia wouldn't work for Ukraine "nor for the same for the security of Europe".
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