Olha Khmarna, a 105-year-old resident of Izyum in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, narrowly survived a Russian bombing on October 15 that destroyed her home. The blast occurred as Khmarna was performing her morning exercises, shaking the house and causing the ceiling to collapse. A wall rug fell on her and protected her from the worst of the impact. Rescued by soldiers who cleared the rubble, Khmarna suffered bruises and breathing difficulties but has since relocated to her grandson’s residence in Kharkiv city.

This attack marked the third time Khmarna has survived bombing in her lifetime. During the Second World War, she was injured when a Nazi bomb hit a factory where she worked before being evacuated to Siberia. More recently, in 2022 amid Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she sustained a leg injury from a bomb at her daughter’s home.

Khmarna expressed frustration over the ongoing violence, questioning how long the conflict will endure and lamenting the destruction it has wrought. “Russia has become completely uncontrollable,” she said, noting that the country was once regarded as a friend but has since caused significant civilian casualties and destruction across Ukraine.

While Kyiv has drawn global attention due to intensified Russian bombardments, the Kharkiv region has faced relentless daily attacks as well. On October 18, a Russian drone strike on a park in Nova Vodolaha, a town within Kharkiv, killed a one-year-old girl named Anhelina, her mother Inna, and four other individuals, including an 11-year-old. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack as a “pure atrocity.”

Additional casualties from Russian strikes in recent days include a 100-year-old woman in western Ukraine’s Khmelnytskyi region and a person who died after a drone-induced fire engulfed their car near Kyiv.

On the same day as the drone strike in Nova Vodolaha, former U.S. President Donald Trump stated that “Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine. They haven’t been doing much.” Meanwhile, Moscow announced plans to deliver its first tanker of diesel fuel to the United States since the suspension of sanctions on October 9, aimed at reducing fuel prices for American consumers.

In contrast to Trump’s assertion, Kremlin officials maintain their objective of establishing a buffer zone along parts of Ukraine’s border, including sections of the Kharkiv region currently under partial Russian occupation. President Vladimir Putin recently confirmed that Russia does not intend to include this buffer zone as part of any peace negotiations with Ukraine.

Izyum, a town recaptured by Ukrainian forces over four years after Russian troops’ withdrawal, remains within range of extensive Russian military capabilities. Following liberation, evidence of significant civilian casualties caused by Russian forces was uncovered in nearby woodlands.

Residents like Iryna, who returned to Izyum after its liberation, describe frequent drone activity and air raids, resulting in health and psychological impacts. The recent drone strike that toppled Khmarna’s roof also hit the home of Olha Lazebna, a 62-year-old former nuclear physicist who helped construct her house with reinforced materials anticipating conflict. She survived by taking shelter in her basement.

Lazebna now lives in a friend’s apartment and expressed despair over the loss of her home and the ongoing conflict’s toll. She criticized international organizations and religious leaders for what she sees as insufficient action, citing the Pope’s recent appeal to allow civilians to evacuate from besieged areas such as Oleshky in southern Ukraine.

Izyum bears symbolic reminders of peace aspirations, including a mural of John Lennon inscribed with “give peace a chance,” painted in 2017 as part of Ukraine’s decommunization efforts. The mural, now protected by anti-drone nets, shows signs of shrapnel damage from ongoing fighting.

Local vendors at Izyum’s main market voiced concerns that their town might face the same destruction endured by Bakhmut, another heavily contested city in eastern Ukraine. Market traders frequently take cover during drone flyovers, reflecting the persistent threat facing communities near the frontlines.