Ukrainian Widow in Dubai Confronts War Trauma Anew as Gulf Tensions Rise
Olga Garbuz, a Ukrainian widow who lost her husband in the Ukraine war, relocated to Dubai four years ago with her daughter to rebuild their shattered lives. However, the recent military escalation in the Gulf region has brutally revived the fears she believed she had left behind in Eastern Europe.
"The war in Ukraine stripped away so much from me and my daughter. My husband was killed, and we faced displacement repeatedly. I cannot fathom enduring such horrors again," Mrs Garbuz revealed in an emotional interview with The Independent.
A Tragic Loss and a Perilous Escape
Her husband, Yuriy Volchkov, aged 45, perished in March 2022 in Kharkiv, a frontline city in eastern Ukraine. He was travelling in a vehicle distributing humanitarian aid when Russian forces opened fire. Following his death and the Russian occupation of Kharkiv, Ms Garbuz and her daughter embarked on a harrowing journey across Ukraine.
"We were forced to move thirteen times between cities," she recounted. "Each relocation meant packing our belongings and establishing a new home, an utterly exhausting process that drained us physically and emotionally."
Eventually, they fled the country, arriving in the United Arab Emirates with just two suitcases. "I have worked tirelessly since then to secure a stable future for my daughter Maya," she affirmed.
Normalcy Shattered by Missile Interceptions
Merely days before Iran launched retaliatory strikes across the Gulf, Ms Garbuz had begun to feel, after three arduous years, that life was finally returning to normal. Her greatest dread now is the prospect of uprooting her daughter once more.
"We have resided in the same apartment for nearly two years, and my daughter attends school regularly. It would be absolutely heartbreaking for her if we had to move again," she added, her voice tinged with anxiety.
The sound of missile interceptions over Dubai skies triggered old survival instincts. "I found myself packing an emergency bag again. I knew precisely which documents to include, that we must stockpile water, and keep cash readily available," she explained.
The explosions also evoked visceral memories: "Sometimes my body tenses uncontrollably because I recall the sensations of war and what typically ensued. Nevertheless, I strive to remain calm and resist panic."
Despite the escalating tensions, she maintains trust in UAE authorities: "I believe they will resolve this conflict diplomatically as swiftly as possible."
Broader Impact on Ukrainian Refugees in the UAE
A week after the military escalation commenced, Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian apologised for targeting Gulf neighbours, yet Iran continued assaults on Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. On Friday, the UAE's interior ministry issued an emergency alert across Dubai, urging residents to seek immediate shelter due to a potential missile threat. The Ministry of Defence confirmed the interception of nine ballistic missiles and 109 drones.
Amid rising tensions, Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha received assurances from the UAE government that Ukrainian citizens in the country would be protected. Approximately 250,000 Ukrainians currently reside in the Middle East.
For Ukrainians like Kateryna Moskviechiev and her husband Dmytro, who relocated to the UAE for safety, being entangled in another conflict far from home in Abu Dhabi was utterly unforeseen. "It feels as though the war has pursued us to Dubai," Mrs Moskviechiev told The Independent.
The family, along with their two sons aged eight and two, moved to the UAE in September 2024. An estimated 5.2 to 6 million Ukrainians fled abroad following the war. "We left Ukraine because we refused to let our children grow up in a war zone," she stated.
Echoes of Past Horrors in a New Setting
Witnessing Russian missiles and Shahed drones near her Corniche apartment, and hearing loud explosions as air defence systems intercepted them, left her "shocked and surprised." "That is not what one anticipates in the UAE," she remarked.
"It resurrected my worst memories of Ukraine, when our family hid in the bathroom during Russian bombardments of Kharkiv. The three of us slept on the floor of a bus stop with thick walls and no windows," she recalled.
Since the recent Iranian drone and missile attacks are less intense than Ukraine's bombardment, she expressed less fear. "I have endured this before. I am impressed by the efficacy of the UAE's air defence systems. I undoubtedly feel safer here than in Ukraine," she affirmed.
Mrs Moskviechiev prays for a rapid de-escalation: "We understand the devastation of prolonged war on a nation and its people—this conflict must cease."
Additional Voices from the Ukrainian Community
Another Ukrainian in Dubai, Alexandra Govorukha, a PR professional, moved to the city six months ago after initially relocating to the United Kingdom from Ukraine in 2022. "And the danger is near again. One rocket was shot down not far from our house," Ms Govorukha wrote in a Facebook post.
She noted her nine-year-old daughter, studying remotely, "knows what war entails and is already hardened by life." "We must learn to have a Plan B everywhere and be prepared for any situation," she emphasised.
Mariana Yevsyukova, a UAE resident since 2017, observed that escalating Middle East tensions have stirred painful memories for many Ukrainians in the country. "We carry the trauma of witnessing war. We fled Shahed drones in Ukraine, and now they are striking the UAE," she said.
Mrs Yevsyukova, a mother of two children aged seven and one, mentioned that even relatives in Ukraine worry about Gulf attacks. "My family in Kharkiv checks on me multiple times daily. A friend enduring power shortages in harsh winter messaged to offer support. Even amidst war, they think of others," she shared, highlighting the enduring solidarity among Ukrainians.
