IRPIN, Ukraine—In the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Kyiv’s northwestern suburb of Irpin saw the brunt of the war. Here, a team of municipal workers is now busy emptying a burned-out apartment block. The workers take whatever can be reused or whatever the missiles didn’t destroy: radiators, steel doors, the odd piece of unburned furniture.
“We will then tear down the building,” said Andriy Priymak, one of the city workers, explaining that Irpin alone has at least 50 houses that are beyond repair and up for demolition.
Ukraine is facing its toughest winter yet. Entire cities lie in ruin, but many people who fled areas that sustained heavy damage in the early days of the war are now returning. What they find are battered neighborhoods and cold homes. As Russia continues an intense bombing campaign on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure—the latest attacks on Monday again left countless numbers of people without access to electricity, heat, and water—people are facing an agonizing choice: stay and rebuild those houses that can be saved or leave once again. Many don’t want to give up hope on their homes, even during a potentially deadly winter.
