‘My Kids’ Safety Comes First’ – Ukrainian Refugee Tells About Her New Life Abroad

February 18 ------ According to UN data, almost seven million people had left Ukraine by the end of 2024. That year alone, the State Border Service of Ukraine recorded 443,000 exits. Last year, after the Ukrainian government allowed men aged between 18 and 22 to cross the state border, the number of refugees grew by another hundred thousand.

The overwhelming majority of Ukrainian refugees have fled to European countries, including Austria, where, as of December 2025, the number was estimated at 89,000. One-third of them are employed. The figure is not as small as it appears, considering the language barrier, bureaucracy, and the fact that around 80 percent of Ukrainians in Austria are women, children, and elderly people.

Kyiv Post approached Victoria Decker, a 42-year-old mother of two, who fled to Vienna after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It was not the first time she had to start a new life in a new place. After the first Russian invasion of the Donbas in 2014, she left Donetsk, her home city, where she had organized corporate events. She moved to Kyiv and made a successful career running a chain of beauty salons. Eight years later, when Russia launched its full-scale genocidal war against Ukraine, she fled abroad to save her children.

Kyiv Post: How did you find yourself in Vienna?

Victoria: Like many others, I first moved further west, to Kamyanets-Podilsky. There, living with my two kids and a crowd of other people in a tiny space, I understood that I had to find another place. But I didn’t know where I’d go or how. Air raid alarms became more and more frequent, and my husband told me to take our kids further, somewhere outside Ukraine. Actually, it was not my first experience: in 2014, when I was in the eighth month, I moved to Kyiv. Maybe, then, I was even more afraid.

Weren’t you more afraid in 2022? Did you know where or whom to go to?

I wouldn’t say I wasn’t afraid. I was, and I was leaving with little hope of returning. My only concern was my sons. Their safety comes first. The elder one was 17 at the time – the final school year, plans for university, you know. The younger was seven – the age of starting school. So, I contacted one of my colleagues who was renting an apartment in Vienna. She let us in.

Did you all live together there?

Yes, the four of us, in a small studio. We ate, slept, and worked in the same room. I tried to work online, but it turned out to be difficult, not comfortable enough, and not productive up to the mark.

You said your younger son was seven at the time. Was it difficult to deal with the school issues?

It’s still difficult for me to deal with all those issues of everyday life. I had never lived alone and had always tackled them together with my husband. Actually, he had taken care of most of them. And then I found myself in a foreign country with two children on my hands. I didn’t know how to get around with school for my son, with medical services, and other things. But step by step, all on my own, I found things out. Some people helped me with advice, others shared useful contacts. What made it all difficult was that back then, in March ’22, there were few Ukrainians in Vienna and it was hard to find someone to turn to. I had to do most of the things on my own.

How do the locals look on you and Ukrainians in general?

When I found the apartment to rent, the landlady told me that I reminded her of her younger self – a young woman with kids and plans. She supported and helped me. She gave me advice and was very friendly. I’ve just recently had the lease agreement prolonged. I would say most locals are like her – nice and friendly. They don’t care much where you come from, and, knowing the reason why we Ukrainians are here, they’re more sympathetic.

In a recent poll of Ukrainians in Austria, more than 50 percent of respondents said they didn’t plan to return to Ukraine. Do you, after the war?

Well, as for me, I don’t see myself here, but my children come before everything else, as I’ve said. My elder son has already found a job, and the younger one goes to a local school. Life’s taking shape here day by day, but I can’t say for sure if I will return or not.

What are your plans for the near future, then?

Just to live, find peace of mind, and carry on. My experience shows that you never know what will happen tomorrow. So, I’ll just go on living. Victoria’s story is proof that there is nothing impossible for Ukrainians, whatever turn life may make them. Their love of life, industriousness and ability to stand up to any challenge make them as a nation stronger. And strength makes freedom.

Source: kyivpost.com