Ukraine wartime normalcy persists even as Russian drones whine over villages near Sumy. Anna Ulanovska lives just 12 miles from the frontline, and she hears fighting almost daily. Her 7-year-old son barely recalls a life without Shahed drones and quadcopters overhead. Missile strikes have also hit Sumy, so fear sits close to ordinary routines. “We are under constant pressure here,” she said, but she still refuses to freeze her life.
Faith, Community, and Small Joys in a War Zone
Ulanovska traveled to Kyiv for a two-day Christian women’s conference in mid-February because she needed spiritual strength. She went by bus, not rail, since Moscow has targeted rail routes in her region. About 120 women gathered for biblical teaching, and she called it a refreshment. Back home, wartime normalcy in Ukraine shows up in simple scenes. Beauty salons stay open, and grocery shelves remain stocked. Children sled on fresh snow, and teens still plan birthdays with bowling and roller-skating.
Anna Shvetsova of the nonprofit Ukraine Freedom Project sees the same resolve across generations. Her 89-year-old grandmother still attends church weekly, even when power fails and buses run thin. In Kyiv, Shvetsova said friends joke through hardship, but they also cling to routines that protect morale.
Weariness Over Peace Talks and Pressure on Russia
Many Ukrainians feel worn down, but they distrust the negotiations they think Russia uses to buy time. The United States brokered a third round of Geneva talks last week, and both sides called them difficult. Moscow and Kyiv remain split over land and security guarantees. Putin demands Ukraine hand over the Donetsk territory it still controls, but Zelensky has floated a demilitarized zone and Western guarantees. Some supporters say tougher sanctions could force concessions, because energy revenue fuels Russia’s war machine. Detractors doubt that sanctions or talks can shift the Kremlin’s aims quickly enough.
Blackouts, Winter Attacks, and Stubborn Survival
Russia holds about 20 percent of Ukraine, yet recent gains stayed marginal. Still, civilians face relentless strikes, and the U.N. said 2025 became the deadliest year for civilians since 2022. Russia fired over 54,000 drones and nearly 2,000 missiles, killing more than 2,500 civilians. Moscow also hit energy infrastructure as temperatures dropped to a 16-year low. In late January, Kyiv reported that thousands of buildings lacked heating, so hundreds of thousands of people relocated. Yet Ukraine wartime normalcy endured through block parties, generators, and celebrations that soldiers say give the fight meaning. Ulanovska said Scripture now shapes her family’s daily outlook, and she leans on faith to face tomorrow.
Four Years into the War, Life Goes on for Ukrainians
Photo by Frederick Shaw on Unsplash
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