For four long winter months, Elena and Alexei Severin put aside every leu they could to replenish their firewood supply. Gathering the 7,000 lei they needed was a challenge — one made easier thanks to the energy compensation they received. Refugees from Ukraine, they have settled in the village of Dezghincea in the Gǎgǎuzia region, trying to rebuild a life from scratch.

At the end of March, when the cold season officially ended, they managed to buy five cubic meters of firewood using their savings and with the help of the energy compensation. This small supply of biofuel means more than just physical warmth — it offers a sliver of security in a life filled with uncertainty, and a quiet acceptance of the fact that they won’t be returning anytime soon to the home they left behind in the Kherson region — a place they long for every single day.

For the past three years, they’ve lived in a house owned by distant relatives who emigrated long ago. It’s located in Elena’s native village and has become their safe haven. She has brought the yard back to life, planting flowers and vegetables — a way to keep both her hands and thoughts busy. Every conversation, sooner or later, circles back to the war and the house they left on the front line. Elena often breaks into tears when she speaks about it. Alexei stays silent, his gaze distant.

Everything they had built over 47 years was lost in a single night. When the frontline reached their village in Kherson, they survived by sheer luck. Woken by the sound of rockets, they rushed outside just as their home was destroyed. With partially burned documents and whatever belongings they could gather in the dark, they fled. A white flag, a green corridor, and no plan — just the instinct to survive.

“We had to leave in 40 minutes. We didn’t know where we were going. We just left. Some distant relatives called and of course we accepted — we had nowhere else to go. We never thought of leaving the country. We wanted to stay close to our homeland, our house, in the hope that this would all be temporary and we’d return soon. But even now, the end is nowhere in sight,” says Elena.

Since then, they’ve lived only on a small pension and refugee assistance. It took over two years for them to restore their documents. Now, both receive their Ukrainian pensions again — around 4,000 lei in total.

“We are grateful to everyone who helped — our relatives, strangers, and all the organizations that felt our pain. And we’re very thankful for the firewood too. Even if the amount varied — 400 lei one month, 500 another — we are grateful for every bit of support. It helped us reach the amount we needed and buy the firewood to keep us warm,” Elena says. She believes that beyond the monetary value, the compensation sends a message of solidarity — a reminder that they are not alone or abandoned, even in a foreign land that has become their shelter.