KYIV ¨C On Feb. 25, the day after Russia invaded Ukraine, Kolya Rybytva gathered his grandmother and younger sister and left Kyiv ¡°quickly and without unnecessary sentiments,¡± he said, heading west. His parents and brother stayed behind to help in the war effort.
¡°The decision was made in minutes,¡± he said, ¡°and it was one of the most difficult in life, but we all understood that war does not provide comfortable solutions.¡±
At the time, Rybytva, 24, understood that he might never return. But two weeks ago, he did, re-entering the capital just as Ukrainian forces were starting to push Russian troops out of the suburbs and, eventually, into a full retreat. After a month of artillery attacks that ravaged buildings and had Kyiv residents seeking shelter in subway stations, a sense of relative calm is being restored.
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