A new mental health centre in the Kharkiv area has been set up to treat Ukrainian soldiers, but the centre is likely not going to be enough to support the thousands of people who need help in a city that’s been ravaged by the war.

Kharkiv

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

Treating the trauma brought home by Ukrainian soldiers

Inside this small gym in the Kharkiv region, a physiotherapy session. Part of a week-long break from life on the front line. For 26-year-old Dmitry Menchenko, these movements were tougher than he thought they would be. Since September, he spent most of his time driving a tank. Often gripped by fear as he heads out on missions near Avdivka in Donetsk. One day when they were just over a kilometre from Russian positions, his tank broke down. You quickly run and they shell you. You fall and the sharpener falls over your head. Another time the machine gun shot our tanks. It's frightening. You don't even know where are you running to, but you run. He says every time he heads out he worries, and so does his family back home. Everyone is afraid in their own way. One explosion and you're dead. When you expect it, it may not happen. But what if it happens? Trying to help manage that fear and the months of trauma and loss is part of this unique program that's funded by donations and foreign aid. This week, 100 soldiers have been brought to a former sanatorium in the Kharkiv area. We can't identify the exact location for security, but can show you some of what takes place here. There are alternative treatments like salt rooms and laser therapy. The partners of soldiers are often invited to take part too. For the soldiers themselves, there's group counseling and one-on-one sessions with the psychologist. 40 of the soldiers here arrived from the Bakhmut area. The site of a seemingly never-ending hellish battle that's already killed a huge number of soldiers on both sides. Those who survive and keep fighting can't help but be affected by what they're going through. This is the second year of full-scale fighting. Man is not made of iron. He is not made of concrete. The person has a limit and when they break it, they can have psychological breakdowns. Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Veselkovsky has studied psychology and has also struggled with the mental impacts of war. His fight began in the Donbass back in 2014. Those soldiers who've been so overwhelmed, they've killed themselves. When a soldier ends his life by suicide, it is very painful. It will be very difficult for the commander of this soldier to explain to his wife, child and parents why this happened, what prompted him to do it. He says suicide is a large problem for Ukraine's military, but the statistics are secret. He believes the entire country is in need of psychological help. Including the rescue crews who spend night after night pulling people out of the rubble. And utility workers who live in fear that the critical infrastructure they're protecting could be Russia's next target. But in a country focused on trying to defend itself, there isn't nearly enough resources for mental health. Some are not very good. Some lose their nerves and you need to cheer them up, says Dmitry Bobylev. He tries to help soldiers near the front line however he can. The physiotherapist drives to Ukrainian positions near Russia's border. He and his team treat the soldiers' pain through massage and acupuncture. They bring some relief, but Alexander wishes a psychologist could be sent out too. He has problems sleeping and describes a permanent feeling of anxiety. A person at war changes a lot. It is a fact. You cannot deny it. But I will hope for the better and that I will be the same person as before. Back at the health centre, most sessions last a week. But soldiers can stay longer if they need more help from a psychologist. Yuri Ivlev is with an artillery unit and lost two of his fingers last May. He's looking forward to returning to his unit where they call him Grandpa. The war is like a disease now. It drugs you in. He says on the front line, fear is a good thing as it keeps him on high alert. But when there finally is peace, he admits adjusting to life will be challenging. That, he says, could be the hardest part. And when soldiers like him will really need psychological support.

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Ukraine Invasion