For the whole country, the war began on the night of 24 February 2022.

For the Luhansk region, it has not stopped since 2014.

On 17 February 2022, the war reminded us of itself in a terrible and cynical way - with the shelling of a kindergarten in Stanytsia Luhanska and a school in Vrubivka. Then it became clear that the situation was escalating. The shelling continued every day.

A week before the full-scale invasion, LAOPD was already in the affected communities, delivering humanitarian aid and supporting people. But there was already a sense of unease in the air — the rumble of cannons and provocations on the line of demarcation left no room for illusions.

On 23 February, we visited Hirsk. The photo is from that day.

And then came the night of the 24th.

Sleepless. Deafening. Unreal.

That day was endless.

Calls. Messages. Lists. Panic. Decisions.

An evacuation was immediately announced in the region. We were at the train stations, helping people board the evacuation trains. In Severodonetsk, we organised our own aid warehouse. We called all the organisations in the association, emphasised the need for evacuation, and found out who needed what kind of support.

We agreed by telephone to open a hub in Lviv, where our people were flocking. The local authorities supported us, and we prepared to meet the people of Luhansk there, far from home.

That day was endless.

When we reached Lviv a few days later — the journey took so long because of traffic jams caused by people fleeing — we began to meet our people.

Later, foreign associations offered evacuation abroad. We organised, coordinated and supported.

And we returned to the east many more times — to a place that had already become hell. We asked people to leave. We persuaded them. We explained. But we couldn't convince everyone...

We worked with hubs organised by the region. We believed that it wouldn't be for long. That we would return soon.

But four years have passed.

Four years since we've been home.

Four years of loss, anxiety, suitcases, new addresses and constant ‘temporarily’.

Four years of living between memory and hope.

We lost our homes. But we didn't lose each other.

We lost our peace of mind. But we did not lose our dignity.

We are far from Luhansk. But Luhansk is within us.

Today, on the anniversary of the full-scale invasion, we thank everyone who defends Ukraine.

Who holds the front line.

Who holds the rear.

Who supports the displaced.

Who does not allow us to break down.

We believe in Ukraine.

We support our defenders.

We continue to work — for the people, for the communities, for the future.

Because returning is not just about territory.

It is about the right to live at home.

And we will definitely restore that right.

Glory to Ukraine.