Ukrainians who fled their country for Israel find themselves yet again living with war

By SAM MEDNICK
Associated Press

ASHKELON, Israel (AP) — Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, more than 45,000 Ukrainians have sought refuge in Israel. Families were slowly picking up the pieces and finding ways to cope. Then, Israel’s war erupted. Now many are reliving their trauma. Some have left Israel, but many remain — refusing to again flee a war. Most have lost their support systems due to restrictions around gatherings. Others have lost hope of reuniting with loved ones. Tatyana Prima thought she’d left the bombs behind when she fled Mariupol, Ukraine. She escaped with her injured husband and young daughter, now living in southern Israel. Yet the calm she was slowly regaining was shattered Oct. 7, when Hamas militants invaded, thrusting her onto the front line again.