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Several tens of thousands of Ukrainians are believed to have died during the fighting. The France 2 teams collected the testimony of widows who are trying to rebuild their lives.
To the west of Ukraine is the Carpathian massif and its remote villages. Maria grew up there, raised her nine children, and buried her husband. A volunteer, he was killed in Donbass a month ago. “With nine children, he had the right to stay at home, but he said it was his duty. I am proud of him”ifshe moans. The grief of Maria and her children moved the country, in search of heroes and strong symbols. After images of his funeral were broadcast on television, the family received numerous donations. It will take Maria a year to get her war pension.
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She now has only one obsession: to win before her sons are old enough to fight. “If I survive, it’s thanks to my children”, she continues. From west to east, photos of thousands of soldiers who fell at the front populate the towns. A little boy caught on video kisses his father’s face. He died in Mariupol last year, and the family was never able to recover the body. “I live day by day, I had plans for a family of three, not two”, says his wife. Widows try above all not to sink, sometimes by committing to their round.