In March, a missile hit the farm house, destroying half of it. Those who were hiding in the cellar survived.

 

Retreating Russians shot and killed all the animals, damaged farm machinery uprooted trees and much more. But all was not lost.

"I'll tell you about a little miracle," says Iryna Bohuslavska, 39, from Lypivka, Kyiv Region.

Young cows

After liberation, some young cows wandered in to Sunny Farm where we fed them while we searched for their owner. Days later, a man from a neighbouring village was found.

‘How will we know he's the real owner?' we thought.

“He had tears in his eyes when he approached his cows. He called the bull by name and the animal started running towards him."

Loved ones

My mother is 70 and went through all of it. All I wanted is for my loved ones to survive.

“Many European breeders wrote to us with offers of help to rebuild and provide animals.”

But right now the thought of owning animals hurts, says Iryna.

• Follow the link to read the full story in the original publication in Ukraine World: “When the Russians left and the worker got back to the farm, she saw that all the animals were shot dead,” Iryna Bohuslavska, 39, Lypivka, Kyiv Region Reader discretion is advised.