On the front line, where shelling has continued for two years and entire villages have been burned down, only 45 residents remain. Together with community leader Olena Sima, they have become a symbol of resilience and faith in the restoration of their land. Although there are no occupiers in Yunakivka, ruins and the threat of shelling are constant features of daily life. Nevertheless, the community continues to work, defend their land, and plan for the future.

By Dmytro Syniak

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If Ukraine had a ranking of communities that had endured the most trials, the Yunakivka community in the Sumy region would certainly be among the top ten. Russian troops arrived before dawn on 24 February 2022, breaching the border guards' defences and advancing towards Sumy. However, on 4 April 2022, the remnants of these troops, battered in battle, retreated back across the border through Yunakivka once more. Yet they continued to shell the community. Over the following two years, Russian artillery and aviation reduced the border villages of Basivka and Loknia to ashes. The Sudzha operation opened a new page in the community's history, with the lands of Yunakivka and the surrounding villages becoming the main staging area. The intensity and destructiveness of the shelling has increased tenfold. As a result, the community now resembles a scorched desert littered with construction debris. Nevertheless, Olena Sima, Head of the Yunakivka Village Council, remains optimistic. She firmly believes in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and is certain that, together with her fellow villagers and partner organisations from around the world, she will rebuild what the Russian invaders have destroyed.

 

Olena Sima, Head of the Yunakivka rural community in the Sumy region

 

The Deputy Prime Minister is in constant contact with us

 

Life in communities on the Russian border and near the front line differs greatly from life in other Ukrainian communities. In your opinion, should border and frontline communities receive much more attention than they currently do?

There could not be more! We now have more attention than ever before! Could I ever have imagined that the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine would call me regularly? But the fact remains: Oleksii Kuleba is in constant contact with me, either directly or through his advisers.

What do you discuss with him?

He is only interested in one thing: the situation in our community. As you know, Ukrainian troops began their offensive on the Kursk region more than a year ago. Our community bore perhaps the heaviest burden, both in terms of providing everything necessary for the offensive and in terms of withstanding Russian artillery and air strikes. We have suffered greatly. But the Government is not solely focused on us. Just look at how many resolutions concerning border communities the Cabinet of Ministers has adopted recently! Also, bear in mind how the Cabinet of Ministers now takes public opinion into account. For instance, we submitted a proposal for amendments to Resolution No. 815. This resolution relates to destroyed property in areas where combat operations may take place. I have just received confirmation from Oleksii Riabykin, Deputy Minister for the Development of Communities and Territories, that our proposal has been accepted. We are now just waiting for the resolution to be signed.

What exactly did you propose?

We have a lot of housing that has been destroyed, but according to current regulations, owners can only receive state compensation if a special commission from the local council visits the site. However, the local council must guarantee the safety of the commission members. But how can you guarantee that here? Even though our community is not occupied, we cannot inspect destroyed or damaged buildings. Therefore, we have proposed introducing a special status for communities such as ours, whereby their territories would be designated as areas of POSSIBLE combat operations. This would allow buildings to be inspected remotely, for example using drones. This would solve many of our problems, and I am very happy that the Cabinet of Ministers accepted our proposal.

Was this the only proposal? Did you propose anything else?

We regularly submit proposals for improvements to the regulatory framework. Currently, the Cabinet of Ministers is considering the issue of work experience for individuals who continue to work in border communities. According to some information, perhaps one year will count as two. The Cabinet of Ministers is also considering ways to support farmers in border communities. They may receive subsidies to compensate for the dangerous nature of their work. We contribute to such proposals by expressing our opinion and making requests, and sometimes even demands. Thankfully, they are willing to listen to us. Many of our problems have already been solved, such as the subsidy for firewood for those who remain in the community during the winter. Subsidy schemes for renting flats have also been introduced. Young men and women who defend our country can now take out mortgages at favourable interest rates. So, things are not all bad!

Is the state’s attention limited to phone calls and resolutions?

Hopefully not! This year, substantial funds were allocated to all border communities through a special state budget subsidy for the purchase of essential vehicles, such as tractors, excavators and trucks... This is primarily to support the construction of fortifications and defence lines. Border communities also received a state subsidy to reimburse personal income and land taxes. Although not in full, these funds were reimbursed. This year alone, we received UAH 3 million for vehicles and UAH 8 million for income and land tax. Thanks to this, our own revenues for this year total UAH 28 million. I can say with confidence that state aid has literally saved us, as our income has fallen sharply. This was due to hostilities, as you can see, and because we exempted our farmers from paying land taxes completely. There are too many mines and unexploded ordnance on the land. It cannot be used. Besides, the Regional Military Administration also supports us. They constantly offer both financial support and consultancy services. However, we only use the legal advice and manage everything else on our own.

 At the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in January 2025, the President of Ukraine honoured the leaders of two communities in the Sumy region with state awards. One of these was the Yunakivka community: Olena Sima was awarded the Order of Princess Olha, 3rd grade.

 

Conversation with Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration – Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, during the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in January 2025

 

A community of just 45 people

 

You said that your community’s revenues this year amount to UAH 28 million. How have you achieved this?

This is because some businesses are still registered with us despite having moved elsewhere. Not all of our farmers have also applied for exemption from land tax. Additionally, there is a considerable balance carried over from last year. True farmers always have some funds in reserve. That is how we accumulated this money.

What do you spend this money on?

Firstly, we provide support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We help all military units that contact us, as well as our border guard detachment. I would prefer not to disclose any specific figures; however, I can confirm that we provide assistance on a monthly basis. We also help our residents.

How many people currently live in the Yunakivka community?

Before the full-scale invasion, there were over 5,000 people; now, there are just 45. I mean 45 people. We have orders to forcibly evacuate the population from the entire territory of the Yunakivka community, which is why the number is so low. These 45 people do not want to leave their homes under any circumstances. Some of them are elderly people who say they have nothing to lose. The fact that 12 pensioners do not want to leave is actually a big challenge for us. After all, we need to provide them with some kind of service, which is very difficult in conditions of constant shelling.

Where is the village council currently working?

It is in Sumy because that is where most of our residents are now. Many of the services we provide are still in use, with the social protection department bearing the heaviest burden. Our clinic and family doctors are also working in Sumy, and they now have more declarations with patients than before the full-scale invasion.

Why is there no military administration in your community, despite its strategic importance to the Sudzha operation?

Military administration is established when problems arise with the local councillors’ corps, such as when the budget is not approved, sessions are not held or public funds are misused. We do not have such problems. So why spend extra money?

According to the ‘Deep State’ electronic map, most of your community’s territory is occupied and the front line runs right through Yunakivka. Is that really the case? Do you have any information about what is happening in the occupied territory?

I should mention that none of the villages in our community are occupied. Officially, our community is not occupied, and, as far as I know, there are currently no enemy soldiers there. Of course, I am not counting saboteurs. They enter our territory all the time, but rarely return. Ultimately, however, I have no right to comment on the military situation. It is true that we did have some Russian invaders, but our Armed Forces drove them all away long ago. However, the Russians can now control certain territories with the help of drones

What is the current situation with private and other community buildings? Have many of them been destroyed?

A lot. On my street, for example, my parents' house burned down a long time ago, as did my neighbour’s. All the others had their roofs blown off by explosions. So they are left standing without roofs. Sometimes, in some villages, there are no houses left on a whole street, but three houses have miraculously survived. So the situation varies. During the Sudzha operation, which lasted a whole year, our community was bombarded with everything possible. Because of the relentless shelling, little remains of Yunakivka itself. In other villages, although the houses have survived, they often lack roofs, windows and doors. It is impossible to calculate the total damage at this time, firstly due to the intense fighting and secondly because the situation changes almost daily. A house may be standing one day and a deep crater may be in its place the next. Such things happen here sometimes.

 

 Olena Sima talking to residents of the Yunakivka community about the need for evacuation. February 2025

 

Olena Sima giving an interview to the United News (Yedyni Novyny) film crew in her native village of Khrapivshchyna in February 2025

 

One of the public buildings in the Yunakivka community after being hit by a Russian drone

 

A public building in the Yunakivka community after being shelled by Russian artillery on 7 May 2025

 

Greetings to the Yunakivka community from the ‘Russian world’

 

‘Shoulder-to-Shoulder’ with the whole of Ukraine

 

Which problems do you think are the most urgent in your community?

Our roads were completely destroyed during the Sudzha operation. However, Oleh Hryhorov, Head of the Sumy Military Administration, promised me that he would repair our main road a little this year. What roads we used to have! What kindergartens and cultural centres we had! We had such good school buses and tractors! Thanks to the decentralisation reform, we achieved so much! What a wonderful community we had! Our three schools were the best in the district. But we no longer have enough children. So only one school will be needed... We closed the Basivka school this year and suspended the Mohrytsia school because they no longer had the minimum number of 45 students. There are currently 61 children at Yunakivka School and around 120 at Nova Sich School. Our schoolchildren are currently studying online, and I must say they are doing well. They have excellent results in national multi-subject tests, at least. They also actively participate in subject Olympiads and sports competitions. By the way, we recently had the opportunity to send them on holiday as part of the ‘Shoulder-to-Shoulder’ project.

Please could you share more details about your participation in the ‘Shoulder-to-Shoulder: Cohesive Communities’ project. How would you evaluate the project?

I believe the most valuable outcome of this project is the opportunity to feel the constant support of our colleagues across Ukraine. This support is extremely helpful, motivating and inspiring! When a colleague from the Lviv region calls me and asks how I am doing, I feel that I am not alone with all my problems. Together, we can achieve anything: we can rebuild the community and encourage people to return. Therefore, such calls are more important to us than money. We have already signed three memoranda as part of the 'Shoulder-to-Shoulder' project. The first was with the Horodok community in the Rivne region, which immediately offered to organise recreational activities for our children. They live, and have lived, under shelling, so trips like this are very important for them. So far this year, four groups of 17–20 of our children have visited the Rivne region. The fifth group is now on its way. Our next partner is the Bobrytsia community in the Cherkasy region. They are funding a two-day trip for our children to Kaniv to visit the grave of Taras Shevchenko. I will not reveal the third partner yet, as this partnership has not yet been approved by the session. Finally, some of the community leaders are simply our friends and help us beyond any specific projects. For instance, the Duboviazivka community regularly sends us hygiene kits. Similarly, the Konotop community recently donated a large bus.

Do international donors help you?

We regularly collaborate with the international charity organisation JEM, which provides food parcels for our residents. We also work with the Dutch company Lifeline Ukraine, which has just donated a minibus to us. We store all our vehicles in other communities. These include school buses, ambulances and tractors. This is also done in partnership.

 

Major General Oleksandr Nesterenko, commander of the Sumy operational-tactical group, awarding Olena Sima with the Sumy Operational-Tactical Group Medal of Honour in September 2022

 

 Signing of a memorandum of cooperation with the Bobrytsia community within the ‘Shoulder-to-Shoulder: Cohesive Communities’ project in June 2025

 

The future of the Yunakivka community

 

Do you have a plan for restoring the community?

Definitely! We have also developed a strategy for our community. The first priority is demining. Secondly, we plan to repair our clinic, as it has been damaged but not destroyed. We also plan to build a school because all of our existing schools are in ruins. While I cannot speak for the entire community, if the war ended, we would rebuild two starosta offices. At the same time, I am telling people that, no matter how the war progresses, it will not be safe to live within 10 kilometres of the border. People will not return there. Most residents have already received compensation through the eRestoration (eVidnovlennia) programme and bought new homes, primarily in Sumy. Another thing to bear in mind is that it will take several more years to clear the area of mines in order to reach those villages. Therefore, it is too early to talk about their restoration. As the community leader, I naturally want to rebuild everything that was there, but…

But that depends on whether people would come back. If they do not, your community may have to amalgamate with another one. What do you think about that?

I have my own opinion. I know that MP Vitalii Bezgin is in favour of merging communities. He even gives reasonable arguments. But could you please explain why we should enlarge the communities now when we worked so hard to amalgamate them in 2015? And why did we write a development strategy? Consider this issue from a different perspective: no one will provide our people with all the services that we do. Come and see for yourself how people are treated at our village council, and at the Sumy city council, for example. They are internally displaced persons, but for us, they are our fellow countrymen. Therefore, I believe that there should be no unification until martial law ends. After that, it should be left to the experts in the Cabinet of Ministers to decide. If they decide to merge two or three communities, what choice will we have? We will merge! However, I have already spoken to people. They want the centre to remain in Yunakivka and for the community to be called the Yunakivka community. They should join with us, not we!

What is your vision for your community in the near future?

The first thing we will need to do as soon as the shelling ends is to restore the community. People will start returning immediately, and everything will need to be rebuilt. The first thing we will need to do is clear away the rubble and repair the roads. We will probably use broken bricks from the ruins for this. Then, as has happened in other communities, various charities will appear. I already have contacts with charities ready to supply us with mobile homes. I should mention that people are already gradually returning to villages as far away from the front line as possible. For example, Mohrytsia and Kyianytsia. They are planting gardens and harvesting crops. They want to return to their homes and make repairs. I planted a garden myself this year with onions, garlic and potatoes… My house was in Khrapivshchyna. The house was destroyed a long time ago, but the garden is still there! I visit it once or twice a week. How could I not? We Ukrainians cannot live without land.