There is a crisis of wounded psyches, in addition to broken bodies, among Ukrainian soldiers. Exhausted physically and mentally, some soldiers have seen horrors on a daily basis that most civilians never do. At a handful of centers, soldiers receive an array of therapies, from talking to swimming to time with animals, to treat the invisible injuries.
Photographs as well as text by Nicole Tung
Nicole Tung visited several mental health treatment centers in Ukraine, and spent time with several soldiers suffering from the psychological harm of battle earlier this year.
Night brings little sleep and terrifying dreams. Day brings panic attacks and flashbacks. All are exhausted and some think of suicide. They fear their own thoughts, and what those thoughts might drive them to do.
Vladyslav Ruziev, a 28-year-old Ukrainian sergeant, has recurring nightmares about his experience being pinned down with his unit last winter, powerless to do anything about the constant Russian artillery, the bitter freeze, the comrades he saw lose arms and legs. “Sometimes the ground was so thick with the wounded that the evacuation vehicles drove over their bodies by mistake in the chaos,” he said, recalling scenes he witnessed on the front earlier this year.
In a year and a half of war, many of Ukraine’s troops have had breaks totaling only about two weeks. And when they do get short respites away from the front, what many of them need most is treatment for psychological trauma.
That need is growing and far outstrips Ukraine’s ability to address it, as a New York Times journalist found in visits to institutions providing that care, and in interviews with soldiers, therapists and doctors.
Andriy Remezov knows that suffering all too well — after going in 2014 to fight the Russian proxy forces in the East, he returned home and went into a tailspin.
“I got addicted to drugs and alcohol, and even thought about suicide, but my comrades rescued me,” said Mr. Remezov, 34. He got treatment, became a psychologist and got married.
He rejoined the army last year. On a two-day trip to Kyiv, sipping coffee in his kitchen with his wife, Marharyta Klyshkan, he explained that each time he leaves the front, he spends some quiet time mentally reviewing what he has endured “so I can put it on a shelf in my mind.” Otherwise, he said, “all this information can just destabilize me.”
Ukraine’s mental health system can handle only a fraction of the need, he said, and most soldiers make the mistake of trying to tough it out on their own, as he once did.
A handful of centers in Ukraine treat mental trauma with traditional psychotherapy and alternative treatments: electrical stimulation, time with animals, yoga, aquatic therapy and more.
At Lisova Polyana, a hospital near Kyiv, therapists use “biosuggestive therapy,” a mix of talk, music and touches to the head, chest, shoulders and arms. Even having barbers give haircuts can be therapeutic — a safe encounter with a stranger, giving a sense of routine and care.
The hospital treats soldiers with both psychological harm and physical wounds, including brain injuries like concussions. “This has become an epidemic now because Russian artillery is like rain,” said Ksenia Voznitsyna, the director. She added, “We also work with those who were tortured while in Russian captivity.”
The State of the War
Ukraine’s Counteroffensive: After months of grueling combat, Ukrainian troops have made “tactically significant” advances along two major lines of attack, according to analysts, compelling Russia to divert forces from other parts of the front line.
Black Sea: By deciding to fire warning shots and board a freighter Moscow made good, apparently for the first time, on its threat to treat Ukraine-bound civilian shipping as potentially hostile.
Missing Air Power: Without F-16 fighter jets from the West, can Kyiv’s counteroffensive prevail? Most experts say yes, but it is likely to be far more difficult without the advanced aircraft.
The hardened men can have trouble lowering their guard. For some, touch is threatening. In one group session, hypervigilant warriors struggled to comply with instructions to keep their eyes closed. One shook uncontrollably.
The goal for now is just to get them well enough to return to the front. Long-term recovery must wait.
On a previous rotation away from the front line, Maksym, 35, attacked his roommate during the night, thinking the other soldier was a Russian enemy. After that he insisted on having a room to himself.
The buzzing of bees overhead put him on alert, expecting drones. A shooting range gave him a flashback of battle.
“We lost most of the men in my unit,” he said. “I cry sometimes. When I’m falling asleep, I can visualize it all over again.” He added, “I remember the faces of all our dead comrades.”
Maksym saw little point to the therapies in this stint, his second, at a rehabilitation center outside Kharkiv, in the northeast. But like many soldiers, he was caught between the horrors of the front line and the feeling that it was the only place where he belonged.
“At the front, I know my task and I know my duties,” he said. “But here, I don’t know.” He added: “Maybe one day when the war here is finished, I’ll go to another combat zone somewhere else.”
Between therapy sessions, he sat outside, apart from the others, smoking and staring into the distance, one hand clasped on the back of his neck. He could not help mentally revisiting his every combat move, wracked with guilt.
Yet he said he would return to the front because he could not let his fellow soldiers down. Days later, he rejoined them.
Evelina Riabenko and Anna Barsalo contributed reporting.
Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine
The Future of Ukraine: The European Union and NATO have promised a path to membership for the country. But real partnership will hold risks and benefits.
Photos: Photographers with The New York Times and other news organizations have been chronicling the war, capturing a slice of how soldiers and civilians have experienced it. Our photographers say some images will never leave them.
Western Companies: Hundreds of Western businesses are still in Russia. Some say Moscow has tied their hands, while others have chosen to stay put.
Defying Isolation: After the invasion of Ukraine, the West tried to cut Russia off from the rest of the world. But wealthy Russians continue to rely on a network of middlemen to circumvent the restrictions.
A Wartime Partnership: The alliance between President Biden and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has become critical to the world order.
Zelensky’s Rise: The Ukrainian president, once brushed off as a political lightweight, has become a household name, representing his country’s tenacity.
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