Ukrainians, scattered across Europe, trapped in limbo by war

Maryna Bondarenko, a Ukrainian who has been living with her son in Poland for 4 years, weaves a camouflage net for Ukrainian soldiers at UA HUB, a Ukrainian social and cultural centre, in Warsaw, Poland, February 15, 2026. REUTERS/Kuba Stezycki

WARSAW/ISTANBUL, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Maryna Bondarenko says ⁠she has three suitcases packed in her apartment in Poland, waiting for the day when peace returns to Ukraine.

The 51-year-old journalist fled Kyiv with her son ⁠and mother after Russia launched its invasion on February 24, 2022. She thought they would be abroad for a month or two until the war ‌ended.