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22.01.2026
In His Mother’s Hugs: How 7-Year-Old Rodion from Dnipro Is Learning Not to Be Afraid of Explosions
Rodion is seven. He loves sculpting imaginary little figures, inventing entire worlds for them, playing with friends in the yard, and falling asleep cuddled up to his French bulldog named Keks, because the dog is the same color as milk chocolate. Rodion is very peaceful and often philosophizes. For example, he is convinced that there should always be people nearby who love you.
But behind this tender child’s world lies the experience of war, fear, and the loss of a sense of safety. After enduring shelling, Rodion needed psychosocial support to learn how to calm himself again, talk about his worries, and not lose his childhood. That is exactly the help he received from the Voices of Children Foundation.
But behind this tender child’s world lies the experience of war, fear, and the loss of a sense of safety. After enduring shelling, Rodion needed psychosocial support to learn how to calm himself again, talk about his worries, and not lose his childhood. That is exactly the help he received from the Voices of Children Foundation.
Rodion is attentive to details, sensitive to other people’s moods, and easily finds common ground with both children and adults. He can talk for a long time about his imaginary characters, creating stories about friendship, courage, and rescue. He has a rich imagination, and it is precisely this imagination that helps him cope with things no child should ever have to experience.
When it gets loud around him, Rodion becomes very frightened. From a gentle, open child, he turns into a scared little hedgehog who curls into himself just to survive.
When it gets loud around him, Rodion becomes very frightened. From a gentle, open child, he turns into a scared little hedgehog who curls into himself just to survive.
We used to have a calm life. We rejoiced in simple things; we lived so peacefully. And then everything upended,
Upended… and replaced by a life in which children learn to distinguish the sounds of explosions, hide in safer parts of their homes, usually in corridors, and grow up in war.
Rodion lives in Dnipro with his parents and older brother. Their father is an ATO veteran who took part in Ukraine’s anti-terrorist operation in the eastern part of Ukraine in 2014. After Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, he returned to the frontline. In 2024, he was severely wounded and came back home.
Everything in this family rests on Yuliia. Their older son, Kyrylo, has a disability and requires special care. She is constantly by the side of her children and husband, surrounded by tasks, worries, and endless “must-dos.” There is almost no time left for herself. But Yuliia holds on, because more than anything, she wants her children to remember not only the war.
Everything in this family rests on Yuliia. Their older son, Kyrylo, has a disability and requires special care. She is constantly by the side of her children and husband, surrounded by tasks, worries, and endless “must-dos.” There is almost no time left for herself. But Yuliia holds on, because more than anything, she wants her children to remember not only the war.
The Night That Changed Everything
In September 2024, a strike hit near their building. Before that, there had been a heavy night of Shahed drone attacks. The family barely slept, and toward morning, when they finally lay down to rest, a missile exploded in the air. The blast wave shattered all the windows. Glass shards flew straight at the mother and children. The apartment was filled with dust, and the entrance doors of the building were blown out. The family ran down the stairs in their pajamas, grabbing the children and the dog.
That morning, Rodion’s world fell apart. He began to be extremely afraid of shelling, could not calm down during air raid alerts, became restless, cried, and couldn’t find a place for himself. That was when the family turned to the Voices of Children Foundation for help. A case manager was assigned to them. The Foundation provided essential items: a tablet for studying, a multicooker, a heater, and bedding. But the most important thing for the boy was psychological support.
Rodion began attending sessions with a speech therapist and working with psychologist Yuliia. He really liked the Dnipro regional center of Voices of Children. There, they sculpted, drew, and played. During these creative activities, Yuliia gently guided the boy into conversations about his deepest fears. He still becomes anxious when shelling occurs, but then his mother takes him in her arms, puts headphones with music on him, and Rodion becomes calmer, because he knows there is someone nearby who loves him endlessly and will always protect him.
That morning, Rodion’s world fell apart. He began to be extremely afraid of shelling, could not calm down during air raid alerts, became restless, cried, and couldn’t find a place for himself. That was when the family turned to the Voices of Children Foundation for help. A case manager was assigned to them. The Foundation provided essential items: a tablet for studying, a multicooker, a heater, and bedding. But the most important thing for the boy was psychological support.
Rodion began attending sessions with a speech therapist and working with psychologist Yuliia. He really liked the Dnipro regional center of Voices of Children. There, they sculpted, drew, and played. During these creative activities, Yuliia gently guided the boy into conversations about his deepest fears. He still becomes anxious when shelling occurs, but then his mother takes him in her arms, puts headphones with music on him, and Rodion becomes calmer, because he knows there is someone nearby who loves him endlessly and will always protect him.
Childhood Despite Everything
Despite the war, this family does everything they can to make sure childhood remains childhood-like. Rodion plays with friends, takes care of his older brother, hugs Keks, and, like all children, spends time on gadgets. They live between air raid alerts. Sometimes they go to the cinema, ride slides, or take walks. And sometimes they stay home all day just to be together.
We are scared. And the children are scared, too. It’s bad that we’re getting used to it, that children play against the backdrop of explosions. They should not have to live through this. But we’re holding on,
Rodion dreams of the war ending: of quiet nights, of not having to sit in the corridor wearing only pajamas, and of falling asleep with Keks, not because he is scared, but because it feels warmer.
If you or your child needs support, please contact our centers across Ukraine or our psychological support helpline at 0800 210 106.
You can support the Foundation’s work by making a donation or sharing our updates.
The activities of the Dnipro center are carried out with the support of the German humanitarian organization Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe within the project K-UKR-2025-4026.
You can support the Foundation’s work by making a donation or sharing our updates.
The activities of the Dnipro center are carried out with the support of the German humanitarian organization Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe within the project K-UKR-2025-4026.
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