"Almost No Men Are Left": Ukrainian Woman Describes Life in Chernihiv Under Shelling

Attacks on Ukrainian cities have intensified in recent weeks, and the number of civilian casualties continues to climb. According to available data, more civilians were killed or wounded in July 2025 than in any other month since March 2022. Meanwhile, the country's defenders are facing a shortage of missiles for their air defense systems — a shortfall that is directly affecting the daily lives of ordinary people.

Behind the dry statistics lie the fates of real families. Olena, a teaching assistant, has lived in Czechia since 2022 but regularly visits relatives in Chernihiv, in northern Ukraine. She spent the entire summer there and only returned to Czechia this week, in time for the start of the school year.

A City Without Men

"So many men have died. What's left in the city are mostly teenagers, mothers and grandmothers — you rarely come across a man between twenty-five and forty. The city looks emptied out," Olena says.

She says what locals fear most is the approaching winter. "There could come a point when there's no electricity and no food. A real humanitarian catastrophe could unfold," she warns.

Source: seznamzpravy.cz