Ukrainian who has returned home says shelter should be for those from worst-hit cities

Yulia Klymenko and her son Severyn who have returned to Kyiv from Ireland. They are now preparing for a harsh winter amid daily power outages of up to six hours and renewed attacks on the city by drones.

A Ukrainian refugee who has returned to Kyiv from Ireland said she would not seek asylum again here as she thinks the scarce accommodation should be kept for those fleeing cities totally annihilated by the war.

Yulia Klymenko doesn't want to be a burden on "such a beautiful country" while her city is still somewhat livable, despite her son being given school workshops in Kyiv on how to handle explosives safely.

Yulia (35) and her nine-year-old son Severyn are now preparing for a harsh winter amid daily power outages of up to six hours and renewed attacks on the city by drones. However, despite finding the "most incredible people" who housed her near Dublin's Merrion Square when they fled the war to come here last April, she will not be seeking further refuge in Ireland at present.

Instead, she believes accommodation should be kept for Ukrainian refugees whose cities have been annihilated by Russian attacks. Yulia and her son returned to the "relative safety" of Kyiv last August as she missed her family and husband Oleksandr.

On her return, her father showed Yulia a picture of him in Ireland 40 years ago while on a break during long fishing trips and said that he never thought that Ireland would be giving his daughter and grandson refuge during a war.

"When we finally decided to leave our country, Ireland was a spontaneous decision. I didn't have any friends or relatives living in the EU and the refugees who fled like me were trying to settle in different countries. I had heard of it being a really friendly place from my father who had visited briefly before I was born when he worked on board a Soviet fishing vessel which docked in Ireland in the '80s.

We arrived in early April, a little nervous and without any plans but we were blessed to meet the most brilliant Irish people who hosted us and supported us all the way.

"We had never met them before we arrived, but they took care of us as if we were their family. They were and are so kind, caring and big-hearted." 

"We were sure the war would end soon but then one month passed, then another and I realised that it may last for many years. All my family is in Kyiv, including my husband. We had to come back as soon as it was safe enough."

She said she has an air raid app on her phone which warns of any shelling.

"Each time I receive a warning, I text my family to see if they are alive and then I worry in case my message will be unanswered. It's an experience I wouldn't wish anyone to feel but at least I am here and not thousands of miles from my family. 

"In the last few weeks, there has been active shelling and lots of drones which we call Iranian drones mopeds because they buzz very loudly. They are stuffed with explosives and metal cubes to do the most damage.

Pics of Yulia Klymenko's son Severyn (seated on tank) in Kyiv from Ireland. He has been given school workshops in school there on how to handle explosives safely.

"While there is no truly safe place in Ukraine, I believe some people must stay to pay taxes, support the economics and support the soldiers on the front line. My son's school is now online, and he recently attended a workshop on the safe handling of explosive objects and on first aid. Imagine a child having to do that."

She said that while Dublin is now her "second home", Europe is already too overcrowded with refugees and especially Ireland with its housing crisis.

'I don't want to be a burden on this beautiful country while Kyiv is still more or less livable. I think it would be better to give people from occupied and devastated cities a chance to settle abroad first as they have literally nowhere to go back to."