Summer Camp for Children of Missing Ukraine

On the day the full -scale invasion of Russia began, Dima’s father told him that he could never see him again.

“The building on our street exploded. Dad said,” I’ll do everything I can to live a normal life. ”

Dima’s father joined the military days later and left for the front line.

Fifteen -year -old Dima shares her father’s memories with 49 other Ukrainian children. Sitting around the fire, they hold candles to mark their missing loved ones.

The delicate slopes of the Carpathian Mountains of Ukraine, stewed in shiny green spruce and fir, extend into the distance.

This is a striking background for this heartbreaking scene. We are in the relative safety of Western Ukraine, Russian bombs rarely fall here.

A little girl talks about when the full -scale invasion began.

“The first time we were bombarded, my hands were shaking and I was crying,” she says. “It took me a long time to handle it.”

This fire activity is a kind of group therapy session. This is part of a pioneer summer camp for a very special group of Ukrainian children, those with a parent who disappeared during the war.

Some are soldiers who are missing from the front line, supposedly dead. Some are captured or caught in occupied areas.

The Ukrainian government says more than 70,000 people are officially cited as missing.

The charity that manages the camp, Gen.ukrainian, helps thousands of traumatized children in Ukraine and runs several summer camps.

But this is the first for this category of children and the BBC has gained exceptional access.

“Many of these children have many injuries, as not only have their fathers disappeared, but some of them have an uncle and grandmothers who are also missing,” explains Vanui Martirosyan, a leading psychologist at the charity.

“They live like frozen. They can’t plan something in the future because they do not know what the future will bring. And we can’t work with them with children with real loss because they do not have this point to start grieving.”

She says many children spend hours diving Russian social media channels desperately in search of information about their family members. Channels often contain the violent content associated with war.

“They are afraid of crying, they think that if they start to shout, they will continue forever. This type of trauma is probably the most difficult to work with.”

On the day after meeting the campfire, I talk to the smoke, who wants to tell me more about my father. The last time he was heard was the day before he disappeared in November 2023.

“He sent a video from all who drink tea in the woods and wrote me a message saying,” It’s all right, I’ll call you tomorrow, “Dima says.

The next day, Dima’s mother received a phone call, saying that his father was missing in action.

“I started calling his mobile. Dad didn’t answer. It was. I sat there and started crying. I realized I wouldn’t see my father for a while.”

During all our interviews with children, including Dima, a gene was present. Ukrainian psychologist.

“I kept hoping until the end that Dad was a prisoner somewhere. Even now I still hope,” Dima says.

Dima’s trauma was intensified only after his mother began to examine the circumstances of his father’s disappearance.

Initially, the military told her that her husband was missing after an air strike in his position.

“Then someone else called Mom, the chief of something or another, and said that the Russians shot everyone, and someone saw Dad’s body lying there without any legs. Then another soldier who was in Dad’s position said they saw him dead, with a shrapnel wounds in his head.”

Dima says the effect on him and his mother was deep.

“Mom was crying a lot about it. I supported her,” Dima says. “When Daddy left, he said,” Dima, no matter what happens, you have to take care of your mom because you are a man and you are her son. “

Group therapy at the camp is performed daily, conducted in small rooms. We are allowed to observe the beginning of one of the sessions – the rest is confidential.

One psychologists, Olena, shows a color diagram of children used to describe emotions. Green is happy, blue is sad, yellow is anxious or super -stimulated, and red is anger.

Today they will discuss sadness. The more uncomfortable and sad we feel, says Olena, the more we love the people we are sad of. This shows that these people are important to us.

Children are encouraged to express their feelings, including through art. At an art therapy session, many paintings show happy families, houses and pets.

A seven -year -old boy, sugar, tells me that his picture is called “Daddy goes home.” It shows yellow sticks in front of the blue sky – the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

Many children live in cities that fall under almost constant bombing of Russian drones and rockets. Like the hometown of the 16-year-old Nasty Harkiv, in the northeast part of Ukraine, near the front line.

“If there are bombings nearby, I go and shelter in the hallway. I worry and shoot a lot,” Nastia says.

Her father was also a soldier. It disappeared about a year ago on the front line. He last saw him two weeks before he disappeared.

I ask her what memories your father has and her eyes shine.

“He was very kind, a lot of spoiling me. He had a sweet tooth like me, and he always knew what treats to buy me,” Nastia says. “I only remember the good things about Dad. The only sad thing I remember is that he disappeared.

“I love him very much and I know he loves me too,” she continues, adding, “I hope we can make new memories with him again.”

This camp also offers children a chance to catch up with a dream, constantly from air raid sirens – and just have fun and play. There are regular trips to the pool, hiking and volleyball games.

“It is important for the body to make movements to heal the trauma,” explains Chief Psychologist Vanui.

At the closure ceremony, it is time for children and staff to say goodbye.

A boy, Ilya, is in floods of tears – he doesn’t want to go home.

“We have such a child in every camp,” smiles the swan, the founder of Gen.ukrainian.

She points to the crowds of children playing in the garden.

“Maybe for the first time in their lives have found people who have gone through the same experience. And this is very important. Group therapy is more important than anything – to see that you are not alone with the pain.”

Ozna says that the scale of the task facing her charity is huge.

“Millions of Ukrainian children are injured by war. This is a humanitarian disaster.”

Additional reporting by John Murphy