Ukrainian Woman Living In Refugee Camp For 6 Months Refuses To Move

Last look: A Ukrainian refugee gazes back at Ukraine over the Danube river after crossing into Romania at Isaccea AFP / Christophe ARCHAMBAULT

KEY POINTS

Vira Derevenko refuses to leave a refugee camp in Palanca, Moldova, six months after arriving at the site
She wants to return home, but she is waiting for the situation in Ukraine "to end"
Nearly 6.9 million Ukrainian refugees have been recorded across Europe since the start of Russia's invasion

A Ukrainian woman refuses to leave a refugee camp in Moldova because she is waiting for the war between her country and Russia to end, according to reports.

Vira Derevenko fled Ukraine's besieged Odesa region in March and moved into a refugee camp in the village of Palanca, U.S. government-funded outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported.

Authorities have offered Derevenko comfortable housing in a nearby village, but she still refuses to move out six months after arriving at the refugee camp, according to the outlet.

Only Derevenko and two other people live in the site's tents.

"They can't force me out," said Derevenko, who now spends her time cleaning tables, helping in the kitchen and doing her favorite hobby, knitting.

Paramedic Iovu, who described Derevenko as a "positive and brave woman," said that she is waiting for the situation in Ukraine "to end."

"I have lost the feeling of being at home. I'm trying to preserve it in my soul and mind. I think about my children. I want to get back home," Derevenko said in an interview with RFE/RL.

When asked where she would go if everything is destroyed, Derevenko said that she would "clean up the ashes and plant some flowers."

"How long do I have to live anyway?" she said.

Nearly 6.9 million Ukrainian refugees have been recorded across Europe since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, data provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) showed.

In total, more than 11.5 million border crossings from Ukraine and nearly 5 million crossings to the country have been recorded, according to the U.N. agency.

More than 2.3 million refugees fled to Ukraine's aggressor, Russia, while around 1.3 million crossed over to Poland.

Refugees also fled to Ukraine's other neighbors, Moldova, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary.

Meanwhile, others went to Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Turkey, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Around 3.9 million Ukrainian refugees have registered for the European Union's Temporary Protection program or a similar national protection scheme, the UNHCR said.

Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection are provided with temporary protection, residency rights, access to housing, social welfare assistance and access to employment and medical care, among other things.