It’s been almost two years since Nataliia Yatsev last hugged her 23-year-old son, Vlad.

“It was a very difficult decision and now I’m feeling guilty that I [left] my son in Ukraine,” said Yatsev.

But Yatsev says the Russian invasion of Ukraine forced her to flee the country, looking for a better future for her younger daughter. Settling in Edmonton, she said her son had to stay to join others on the front lines when he turns 25.

Nataliia Yatsev with her family. (Supplied)

“I talk to my son and I’m trying to support him and to help him mentally,” she explained.

Yatsev is one of millions who were forcibly displaced because of the war. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 6.9 million have sought refuge abroad since the start of the war in February 2022. Of those, almost 65,000 Ukrainian evacuees came to Alberta.

Yatsev and her family lived just three kilometers away from a military airport in western Ukraine. As Ukrainians mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion in Kyiv, Yatsev recalls the trauma that her 9-year-old daughter endured during the first two years of the war.

“We could see all bombs, missiles and attacks from our windows. My daughter was very scared and we spent a lot of time in the basement,” Yatsev explained.

Nataliia Yatsev with her family. (Supplied)

Yatsev has been living and working in Edmonton for almost two years. While she’s grateful she’s found a safe haven in Canada, she says Ukrainians in Canada remain in limbo.

“They don’t have a way to go back to Ukraine and they’re uncertain about their future because it’s very difficult to receive permanent residency.”

Yatsev is also raising concerns over Alberta launching a referendum to explore cutting or charging health care and other social services for some temporary residents.

“It’s very difficult to [raise] kids, work here, to pay rent and to pay for all medical expenses,” she explained.

Despite these concerns, Yatsev says hope is what she can hold onto. Hope for a brighter future, where she and both of her kids can live in peace.