Photos from eastern Ukraine’s shelters show the struggle of the internally displaced

DNIPRO, Ukraine (AP) — Across eastern Ukraine, shelters and transit hubs reflect the human toll of a war now in its fourth year. Over 4.5 million people are officially registered as internally displaced, many arriving with little more than a bag.

Shared by six or more, these temporary spaces – often drafty disused dorms, tents and abandoned basements — are quickly transformed into crowded shelters. Volunteers set up field kitchens and hang curtains made out of old sheets for privacy. With every evacuee comes a quiet reckoning.

Families who once led stable lives now navigate a fragile in-between: no longer at home, not yet resettled. Children are wrapped in donated blankets while elderly evacuees wait in long lines for news of a new placement.

More than 13% of Ukrainian homes have been damaged or destroyed since the invasion began, sending thousands more to these shelters each month. Every arrival adds strain to a relief system already strained by relentless Russian bombardment.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.