Izium: Izium, a formerly thriving city in Ukraine's Kharkiv province with a population of about 44,000, is situated on the Donets River. Following its liberation from German forces during World War II, it expanded quickly. It became well-known for its numerous churches and cathedrals as well as a gathering place called Lenin Square, which was renamed John Lennon Square in February 2016.

These days, however, the streets of Izium are eerily quiet except for the speakers blasting out news in its main square. It serves as many locals' sole source of information regarding what is going on in their neighbourhood.

The 10,000 residents who are still there do so amidst the wreckage of Russian tanks and shrapnel. The main bridge of the city is in ruins. Having lost or been displaced by their owners due to the conflict,

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Izium is still recovering from the effects of the invasion and occupation of Ukraine, which started on February 24, 2022, eighty years after it was decimated by a previous war.

Russian forces took control of Izium within a fortnight, on March 4 to be exact, and it was used as a strategic command hub by them. However, after a fierce counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces six months later, the Ukrainian flag was raised over the city in a stunning military turn of events.

The opportunity for Russia to use Izium as a significant base and resupply route for its forces in eastern Ukraine was eliminated with the city's recapture. But the damage and destruction inflicted on Izium in just one year speaks for itself, with 1,000 civilians killed and 80% of the infrastructure destroyed.

The Izium of today resembles a minefield. Residents take care when crossing the streets, but there is no guarantee of security. They claim that various types of mines were left behind by the occupying troops and were dispersed throughout the city, including along the river, on the streets, in front of homes, and in the woods.

On every other street are banners with the word "MINES" painted in big red letters. One can be seen in front of the city's main hospital.

According to the Ukrainian government, Russian forces launched 476 missiles at Izium, which is an unprecedented number even for a war with a lot of shelling.

The only physician in Izium at one point was a local trauma surgeon named Dr. Yuriy Kuznetsov.

The image of the Russian tanks advancing through the city's bridge is still clearly in my mind. He said to Arab News from his hospital office, "I evacuated my wife and kids to safety, but I had to stay behind to care for my bedridden mother and my disabled brother.

He claimed that the hospital experienced staff and medication shortages throughout the occupation. "We made every effort to run efficiently. There were times when I had to use my knowledge to treat the patients because our X-ray machine broke down. We were also out of anaesthesia. According to Kuznetsov, some patients couldn't be saved.

Kuznetsov recalled that at the height of Russian control over Izium, the hospital would receive up to 100 injured civilians each day. The few remaining employees were forced to convert the basement corridors into operating rooms because part of the hospital building had been partially destroyed.

The majority of the medical supplies used by the medical staff came from private donations, along with the coronavirus drugs they had stocked up on during the pandemic. Nevertheless, electricity wasn't an issue, according to Kuznetsov.

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"We had a small generator that kept us afloat while we were treating mothers in labour, injured civilians, and those with previous illnesses."

According to Kuznetsov, the medical staff, including himself, are compelled to live in cramped quarters along a corridor while the hospital is being rebuilt because their homes were long since destroyed. They experience depression in varying degrees.

According to Kuznetsov, who now spends his days caring for landmine victims, he has not seen his family in a year.

Senior Russian diplomats and officials have consistently refuted claims of criminal violence against civilians in Ukraine and defended what they refer to as "the special military operation."

According to the fundamental clauses of the UN Charter, which grant states the right to legitimate self-defense in the event of a threat to use force, which we did, the special military operation is conducted in accordance with those clauses, wrote Sergei Kozlov, the Russian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, in an opinion piece published in Arab News in February.

As you can see, Russia upholds the true spirit of international law rather than some sort of arbitrary "rules-based order" imposed by the West and its proxies.

A sombre memorial to Izium's darkest times is located five kilometres from the city centre in a quiet pine forest. Only a small portion of the estimated 440 bodies, or more, that are buried in makeshift graves with wooden crosses placed atop each one, are believed to be soldiers. While some crosses only have numbers, others list names and times of death.

The mass graves were found when Ukrainian forces arrived back in Izium in September 2022. Exhumed bodies revealed evidence of torture. One had a rope around his neck, and several others had their hands tied. Other victims' skulls have multiple bullet holes in them.

Dmitry Pesko, a spokesman for the Kremlin, called the accusations "lies" and asserted that Russia "will, of course, defend the truth in this case."

Now, a group of international and Ukrainian investigators must laboriously identify the victims. Many families eagerly await the news of the whereabouts of their loved ones so they can arrange for a dignified funeral.

Olga Alekseychuk prepares meals and dispenses coffee at Izium's Auto Stop Cafe. Her relatives, who own the cafe, have offered her the position of manager.

She said to Arab News, "It's a shame we lost our homes. "The winter of the occupation was extremely challenging. We layered up, boiled water, and huddled close to one another to stay warm.

Alekseychuk claimed that she and her family often spent entire nights in their basement where they hid from 5 to 11 p.m. to stay safe.

"This war has destroyed countless lives, and it is still ongoing. Although the Russians are gone, we still have a mine problem. One was stepped on just a few days ago by a friend's wife. She was fortunate to have survived, but she had very serious wounds.

According to Alekseychuk, the Izium residents' way of life is over. "Today, we live simple lives. Having a Wi-Fi connection is almost a luxury. People are wandering around like zombies because they have no jobs, homes, or money.

A nearby woman who runs a small food stand agreed with her sentiments. The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told Arab News that she practically lived in her basement and that she and her son had started using boiling water as a means of staying warm. They subsisted on food in cans.

In addition to the enormous physical harm, life in Izium is still marred by suffering and trauma months after the occupying troops left. The memories they have given us will last a lifetime. As soon as the occupiers left, my mental health issues grew worse. While they were here, I was in survival mode," Alekseychuk said.

"Right now, my life isn't normal at all, and I don't know how to readjust to it.  A recent day saw some teenage girls seated close to the food stand. They claimed that while they had been imprisoned in their homes for six months, they had passed the time by playing cards and board games.

They were content, however, just to have their internet connection back. It is unknown how much the reconstruction of Izium will cost, but some experts believe it could reach the hundreds of millions of dollars. Even though a few small businesses have reopened, the city's economy has yet to fully recover.

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The majority of citizens in Ukraine anticipate financial assistance from the government, but it is unclear how the administration plans to allocate funds, especially given that the majority of its budget is still allocated for fighting Russian forces. Izium's residents are anticipating not only the rebuilding of their city but also the restoration of their own lives.

The owner of the food stand declared that everyone now needs mental health services.