Ukraine War Separates Families, Fuels Drone Anxiety

Russia’s war is taking a deepening psychological toll on Ukrainians, from civilians and soldiers experiencing persistent fear of drones to families separated by military service and escalating attacks. Clinicians describe drone-related anxiety marked by hypervigilance and a sense of helplessness, even among people who have not been physically injured. One artillery soldier’s brief call with his young daughter was interrupted by nearby explosions, while his wife and children face air-raid alerts and attacks near their home; his rare visits are often cut short when he is called back to the front. Together, the accounts show how the threat of aerial attacks and the demands of combat reach well beyond the battlefield and shape everyday family life.