NAMPA, Idaho — 1,000 days of death, fear, and fleeing is what Ukrainians have been experiencing for nearly three years now.
Tuesday marked the 1000th day since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, starting one of the largest wars Europe has seen in decades, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
The war has displaced millions of people, forcing Ukrainians to flee their homeland, with some finding refuge here in Idaho.
Refugees in the Treasure Valley said this war has lasted far longer than they could have imagined, and they continue to worry about their loved ones daily.
"Mostly Americans, they don't know, like, how much people are dying every day and how much struggling there is," Mila Grishchuk, a refugee and now employee at Ukrainian Welcome Center, told KTVB Wednesday.
The Ukrainian Welcome Center (UWC) in Nampa is one place that provides support and resources to Ukrainian refugees in Idaho.
The center has served more than 790 clients since its opening in May 2022 and said it welcomes new Ukrainian families every week.
The Idaho Office for Refugees said thousands of refugees from the war now live here in Idaho.
For many of the refugees, the transition to the U.S. hasn't been easy, but they have worked extremely hard to integrate themselves into their new homes in the states.
"When you move to another country, it’s like another language, and as a culture, everything is different,” Grishchuk said. “I think that probably like older, older generation Americans, they’re most similar with Ukrainian culture, but it's still a big difference."
Another refugee, Olha Pyvovar, arrived in the U.S. less than two months ago with her boyfriend, which she said made the transition easier in some ways.
"Now I'm living here. I'm studying English. I want to study as a nurse," Pyvovar told KTVB Wednesday. "I hope that I can finish like education here, and also to be at least like, to start working at hospitals.”
Refugees can take English classes, learn other skills, and receive other resources from UWC, which will help them successfully start new lives here.
But, the couple still looks to their homeland and families locked in war through these 1000 days.
“The war, it's not only 1000 days, it's already 10 years,” Pyvovar said. "It's hard, and in the beginning especially, but because of here, like, here is nice people, it's much easier.”
More than 1,000 days later, the war shows no sign of ending, but for the refugees at the UWC, the Treasure Valley has become a place to start new in peace.
"It's really nice to be like to stay in the U.S. and but still be with your people, and to be in that cultures and you grow up in,” Mila said.
Local groups are still sending resources back to Ukraine through donations that can be made here.
The organization is also hosting a coat drive and will be accepting coats.