Tears and joy as Ukrainian couple divided by occupation meet again

KYIV — Larysa Ryndova dashed to reunite with her husband, Serhiy, as if reuniting on a first date, her makeup enhanced and perfume lightly sprayed in the car. It marked the first time she had laid eyes on the 68-year-old man in 4-1/2 years, the duration he had spent confined with others in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine.

Larysa, 72, kept repeating, "I can't believe you are here," her mascara smudged with tears as they embraced outside a hospital in Kyiv. Serhiy echoed her sentiment, stating, "Honestly, I can't believe it myself."

They last saw each other in 2022 when Larysa fled to England to reside with their son, just three months into the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Serhiy remained behind to care for their family home, ultimately becoming trapped in the town littered with Russian-imposed landmines and facing a worsening humanitarian crisis. Larysa expressed hope that the situation would improve, yet Serhiy responded sarcastically, "We hoped for better. Turned out, it got better."

Oleshky's residents described enduring constant drone attacks and living without power and heating. The circumstances worsened this spring when food deliveries ceased. Serhiy managed to escape on October 30, accompanied by hundreds of other displaced individuals.