Ukrainian refugees in Moldova: Warmly welcomed but dreaming of home

Landlocked between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova is one of the poorest and smallest countries in Europe, with a population of approximately 2.5 million people.

Yet this hasn’t stopped the aspiring EU member from welcoming around 100,000 Ukrainian refugees - many of whom are women and children - since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine one year ago.

Svetlana Berezovskaya is from Moldova. She is housing a mother and her two sons who fled the war in Ukraine. She says the conflict next door made her reflect on the vulnerability of her own country.

"I was here in Moldova when the war with Transnistria started. I know what it is, it's scary. And when you have children, it is very scary. So you have to help somehow," she explained.

"I don’t know, maybe, God forbid, of course, that such things should happen to us… It's scary. And when you have children, it is very scary. So you have to help somehow."

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Moldova has lived under the constant fear of a Russian attack on its soil and has suffered from major energy and cost of living crises, leading to the resignation of pro-Western Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita earlier this month and growing instability in the country.

There are a number of pro-Russian groups in Moldova, particularly in Transnistria, an eastern separatist region. This, along with a severe cost of living crisis, has contributed to instability in the country and the resignation of pro-Western Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita earlier this month.

Despite these hardships, civil society mobilised in an unprecedented way to help refugees.

A year ago, Moldova For Peace started with just a handful of volunteers. Today, this NGO is backed by several international organisations