YIV, Ukraine (AP) — Lidia Stepanivna Lomikovska, a 98-year-old Ukrainian woman, recently made headlines for her remarkable escape from Russian-occupied territory. She undertook a nearly 10-kilometer (6-mile) journey alone, wearing only a pair of slippers and using a cane for support, to reunite with her family after they were separated during their flight to safety.
Lomikovska and her family decided to leave Ocheretyne, a frontline town in the eastern Donetsk region, as Russian troops entered the area, intensifying the fighting. She recounted waking up to the sound of gunfire all around her, describing it as a terrifying experience.
During their chaotic departure, Lomikovska became separated from her son and two daughters-in-law, one of whom, Olha Lomikovska, had been injured by shrapnel days earlier. While the younger family members chose back routes, Lidia insisted on staying on the main road.
With a cane in one hand and a splintered piece of wood in the other for support, the determined pensioner walked all day without food and water to reach Ukrainian lines. She recounted falling twice and having to rest along the way, even sleeping briefly before continuing her journey.
Pavlo Diachenko, acting spokesman for the National Police of Ukraine in the Donetsk region, revealed that Lomikovska was rescued when Ukrainian soldiers spotted her walking along the road in the evening. They handed her over to the “White Angels,” a police group that evacuates citizens living on the front line, who then took her to a shelter for evacuees and contacted her relatives.
Reflecting on her ordeal, Lidia said, "I survived that war," referring to World War II. "I had to go through this war too, and in the end, I am left with nothing. That war wasn’t like this one. I saw that war. Not a single house burned down. But now – everything is on fire," she lamented to her rescuer.
In a heartwarming development, the chief executive of one of Ukraine’s largest banks announced on his Telegram channel Tuesday that the bank would purchase a house for the resilient pensioner. “Monobank will buy Lydia Stepanivna a house, and she will surely live in it until the moment when this abomination disappears from our land,” Oleh Horokhovskyi declared.