Surrounded by grenades, rockets, and bombs, Andrii tries to rebuild his home

DCA Ukraine

On the gravel road in front of Andrii’s house lies a crumbled part of an exploded rocket. Standing by the road, the house is barely visible through the wild overgrowth that surrounds the bullet-ridden walls without a roof. The ruins of the house were once Andrii’s home.

“I left my house after just over a month of the war. The frontline between Russian and Ukrainian forces continued to be in my village for about a year. I couldn’t live like that,” explains 44-year-old Andrii. He fled from his village Myrne to the city of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine, where shortly after he was badly injured by a rocket strike. The impact left Andrii with a difficulty walking today, as he was hit in both legs, his bladder, and ribs. He survived with the hope of returning to his house to reclaim his old life.

“I returned to my house after over a year, and it was in ruins. Even so, I still hope to rebuild my house and life in Myrne,” he says.

Farmers pile unexploded bombs

Before the war, the village of Myrne was home to 700 people. Today, only 40 remain. Along both roads leading to the village, one must zigzag to avoid artillery shelling craters. Several unexploded rockets protrude from the roadside. Some Myrne residents have even gathered rockets and grenades in piles, removing them from their houses or farmland.

“There is a significant risk for people living near former battlefields. They don’t necessarily have the proper education on how to behave and, most importantly, what not to do around the remnants from the war. Therefore, it is essential for DCA to not just survey and clear areas of unexploded ordnance, but to educate the people on how to stay safe in areas littered with explosives,” says Michael, DCA Ukraine’s Operational Manager for Humanitarian Mine Action in Ukraine.

DCA Ukraine is expanding its Mine Action program with support from the European Union targeting more than 150,000 Ukrainians. This means that people like Andrii in the future will have the opportunity to rebuild their homes and lives without worrying about what happens every time they lift a stone or take a step on their own land.

Read more: One year in Ukraine

Legal aid is vital to rebuild

In addition to the training and risk education offered, DCA Ukraine has partnered with the organisation Right to Protection so it can offer more people close to the frontlines legal aid.

All the documentation Andrii had for ownership of his house was destroyed when the house was destroyed. He now gets legal aid from Right to Protection in order for him to proof ownership of the house – which is necessary if the is to get financial support to rebuild it. It is a complicated process and without the support from the lawyers, Andrii is not likely to receive compensation.

“It is a problem for many people living close to the frontlines that they have lost ownership documentation for their property during the war. This leaves them without a possibility to get compensation and makes it incredibly difficult to rebuild their homes,” says Oleksii Danylchuk, Project Coordinator at Right to Protection.

“Before the war, I was a carpenter, but now there is no work left. I also have difficulty working as a carpenter because I have trouble walking. That’s why I need the support. I can’t do it alone. And I need proof that this is my house for anyone to agree to help me,” says Andrii, who is hoping to receive compensation in the future after having received legal support from Right to Protection.

“Even though it is tough for me right now, things are getting better. I used to walk with a cane. Now I can do fine without,” Andrii laughs and swings his leg around as to prove his point.

Read more: All they found was his bones and his ID card