"The worst thing is to tell an 8-year-old boy that his mother is dead..."

On the night of July 1, 2022, two Russian missiles struck the resort village of Serhiivka in Odesa region. One hit a recreation centre and the other hit a residential building. The Russian terrorist attack claimed the lives of at least 22 people.

8-year-old Yakiv and 14-year-old Volodya Yankovskiy were pulled out of the rubble by neighbours. The boys' mother and stepfather were killed. The younger Yakiv was hit in the neck by a piece of rubble. Rescuers had to clamp the damaged blood vessel to save his life. 

This caused oxygen deprivation and a stroke. As a result, the child became paralysed on the left side of his body. The elder Volodya had multiple injuries, including a severe head injury and a complex fracture of the radius of his right arm. The brothers received first aid in the Odesa region and were then transported to Lviv.

The boys' cousin, Yevheniia Sandrost, took Yakiv and Volodya under her care. When Lviv doctors put them back on their feet, the sister took them abroad for rehabilitation.