Restoring Connection, Documents, and Starting Over: Serhii’s Story After Evacuation from Kupiansk (Kharkiv Oblast)

After evacuation, many people have to start almost from scratch. They are left without a home, their belongings, or documents. Losing a phone at such a moment also means losing contact with loved ones – their phone numbers, the chance to call them, and hear a familiar voice. At the same time, a phone is essential for accessing services and managing everyday tasks.

Serhii, 59, is from Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast. For many years, he worked as a chief engineering technician at a local enterprise. Nearly 20 years ago, he lost his wife. He has two daughters: one lives in Kharkiv, while the other moved to Germany after the start of the full-scale invasion.

In June 2026, Serhii was in his yard when russian forces dropped two aerial bombs on the city. One destroyed the roof of his house, while the other landed in the yard.

“The roof and the ceiling collapsed into the house. It all happened within seconds. Just a few minutes earlier, I’d stepped outside to get some fresh air, and that saved my life,” he recalls.

Serhii’s phone and all his documents were left on the kitchen table. He did not try to search through the rubble – the area around the destroyed house was far too dangerous, as another strike could happen at any moment.

Fortunately, he had left a folder containing copies of his documents near the entrance and managed to take it with him.

That same day, on June 10, 2026, Ukrainian servicemembers helped Serhii leave Kupiansk. Together, they spent three days walking through tree lines, trying to avoid the constant threat of russian FPV drones overhead.

“It felt like something out of an action film. We reached Berezove, and then I was taken by quad bike to Shevchenkove. From there, the boys helped me get to the transit center in Pavlohrad. I’m deeply grateful they didn’t leave me on my own and stayed by my side the whole time,” says Serhii.

At the transit center in Pavlohrad, Serhii was able to recover from the exhausting journey. Lawyers and social workers from East SOS helped him restore his passport and tax identification number.

“We restored his passport within a week and his tax identification number in just two days – all thanks to the fact that Serhii had managed to bring copies of his documents with him,” explains East SOS Lawyer Yevheniia Pinchuk.

Once his documents had been restored, the Foundation’s team provided Serhii with a new mobile phone.

“I never expected to receive a phone. And such a good one too – a touchscreen model that’s just as good as the one I had before,” he says with a smile.

For Serhii, the phone is much more than a new device. It allows him to regain access to essential applications, including the Diia app and his online banking. Once this is done, the Foundation’s team will also help him apply for a one-off state assistance payment of UAH 12,300.

Serhii is currently staying at the transit center while waiting for a new place to live. At the same time, he is looking for temporary work.

“There’s no other way. I have to rebuild my life,” he says.

But what matters most to him is reconnecting with his daughter, who lives in Kharkiv. Her phone number was stored on the phone he lost, and he could not remember it. Now, Serhii is searching for her on social media, hoping to hear her voice again.

Since June 2026, we have distributed 98 mobile phones as part of project MESH: “Multisectoral Emergency Support for High-Severity Hromadas” implemented by East SOS in coordination with The Right to Protection Charity Foundation and with support from the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF).

These phones help people stay in touch with their loved ones, access essential mobile applications, regain access to banking services, and apply for state assistance.

Legal assistance was provided as part of the EMPOWER project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) together with the European Union and carried out by GIZ Ukraine.

Social support was provided as part of the project “Protection and Psychosocial Services for People with Limited Mobility and Persons with Disabilities Affected by the War”, implemented with the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

Recently, East SOS completed the full evacuation cycle for a family from the frontline Synelnykove Raion.