‘We didn’t really say goodbye’: families ripped apart by the war in Ukraine

Women whose partners went to fight the Russians feel torn by the desire to stay close but also to get their children to safety

Within hours of hearing the first explosions in Kharkiv, Sonya saw her happy home life turn upside down. A friend called my partner and said it was possible to enter the territorial defence force," she says. He agreed, and made the decision on his own. I wanted him to consult with me ... but then I realised it was his choice; he actually forced me to support him.

He left, and we didn't really say goodbye," she says. I tried to come to terms with the chance that I wouldn't see him again."