Desperate Ukrainians take long and uncertain journey to escape Russian occupation 

Beyond the reach of Russian authorities, the escapees offered rare firsthand accounts of their lives under occupation and their harrowing escape from Kremlin-controlled territory 

The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in early June triggered catastrophic flooding. Picture: AP /Libkos

For Rima Yaremenko, the 5,000km odyssey to escape Russian occupation ended within sight of where it started. The 68-year old Ukrainian woman traversed several countries over six days only to settle across the river from her beleaguered hometown.

She came a long way by bus through Russia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to be this close. From the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kherson, where she now lives, the faint outline of Oleshky is visible from a distance. But the community with a prewar population of 25,000 may as well be a world away.