07.07.2025 | People
Roman, a military medic returned from Russian captivity, shares his experience of temporary accommodation in the first newly building for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Lviv, which is financed by the EU and managed by Nefco, as part of an ongoing initiative to provide urgent accommodation for IDPs.
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“The feeling of home is what I missed the most. It is only here, in this flat, after many years, that I could finally sit in silence and realise I am home,” says Roman, a military medic who returned from Russian captivity after nearly three years.
Before the war, Roman worked at the tax office in Berdyansk. He never envisaged a military career until he was mobilised in 2015. From that moment, his life changed. He realised he could make a contribution to the Ukrainian army and chose to enlist, becoming a combat medic.
The invasion found him caught at a position near Shyrokyne. After Russian forces breached the front line, his unit retreated to Mariupol, defending the city’s northern area in the Myrne district. In April 2022, he and his fellow soldiers were surrounded and forced to exit through a ‘green corridor’, which meant only one thing – captivity. Roman spent 1,039 days as a prisoner of war.
“In captivity, we lived completely cut off from information. We knew nothing about the course of the war and didn’t hear the voices of our loved ones. When you’re isolated from the world for so long, returning feels like a journey into the future. Everything changed. It felt like not three but ten years had passed,” says Roman.
After his release, he was sent to a medical facility and then to the UNBROKEN rehabilitation centre in Lviv. There, he received medical care and psychological rehabilitation and was finally reunited with his wife. “All these years, we hardly saw each other. But here, I could finally say: this is a place where we can just be together. Unfortunately, my wife can’t live here with me as she works in another city, but on weekends we have a place where we can spend time together,” he shares.
Roman learned about the possibility of moving into newly built temporary housing while he was in the hospital. When he first visited, then as a guest, he was impressed. The building featured bright spacious rooms, a large bathroom, modern decor and, most importantly, a barrier-free environment. “After the war and being in captivity, these details matter. All the spaces are adapted for people with disabilities – no thresholds; everything’s well thought out. And there’s plenty of light with the large windows. It’s like a symbol of new life,” says Roman.
The newly built residence where Roman lives is part of the EU supported project to provide housing for internally displaced persons in Lviv (IDPs). It is the first of eight planned buildings to be completed. The initiative aims to provide temporary housing for soldiers and internally displaced persons who have been physically affected and lost their homes as a result of the war.
The project is funded by the EU, managed by Nefco, and implemented by the City of Lviv. The European Commission has allocated in total EUR 100 million to support this initiative, Housing for Internally Displaced Persons and Rehabilitation of Liberated Cities in Ukraine, which includes construction of new housing in 9 cities and renovation of municipal facilities in 2 cities to urgently accommodate IDPs.
Roman says he now finds more inner resources daily to move forward. He is undergoing physical rehabilitation and learning to live again – in the city, among people, with his family. Ahead lies a difficult decision: in the near future, Roman plans to submit a report for discharge to spend a number of months with his family before returning to service.
“Honestly, after 10 years in the army, I can’t quite imagine myself living a civilian life.”
“Maybe I could be useful and offer something, but as long as the war continues, I know that’s where my thoughts will be. It’s my calling. And my wife supports me – she knew before I even said it. That’s why I love her – for supporting me and staying by my side these 10 years,” he smiles.
For further information, please contact:
Julia Shevchuk, Senior Programme Manager at Nefco
Yuliia.Shevchuk@nefco.int, +380 50 358 3518
Oleksii Kapustinskiy, Investment Manager at Nefco
oleksii.kapustynskyi@nefco.int, +358 10 6180 649
Andriy Bandura, Sector Manager Energy – Gas, Oil and Energy Efficiency at the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine
Andriy.BANDURA@eeas.europa.eu