Man who lost his wife and kids in Ukraine war says helping neighbors "makes it possible to continue living"
A Ukrainian man whose wife and children were killed by Russian artillery last year has found some consolation by helping neighbors rebuild their homes and lives.
"It gives me a sense of kindness. It makes it possible to continue living," Serhiy Perebyinis told CBS News. "I can't help my family, but I can at least give some help to others."
Perebyinis' wife Tetiana and their two children, Mykyta, 18, and 9-year-old Alisa, all died when a Russian mortar tore into a crowd of people trying to flee the northwest Kyiv suburb of Irpin last March, not long after Russia began its invasion. Images of their bloodstained bodies laying on the ground in the aftermath of the attack shocked the world.
Perebyinis, who he was away in the east of the country with his mother when the Russian invasion happened, told CBS News last year that he knew it was his family as soon as he saw the images on Twitter.
"I recognized my children even though their faces were hidden," he told CBS News last year. "I was able to recognize them by their clothing, their backpacks, and the suitcase."
He's since given away most of their belongings to those who need it most. But he still wants justice.
"Those soldiers who killed my family have died, but there will be punishment for the leadership of Russia," he said.
Perebyinis returned home after the Russian forces who occupied his hometown were forced to retreat later in the year. They left behind them a trail of death and destruction — and significant evidence of atrocities committed against civilians.
Perebyinis is now training to be a medic, and he's also had military training. The bereaved father said he was ready to fight back if Russian troops return to his neighborhood.
"It's been a really hard year," Perebyinis told CBS News. "When you lose everyone, you are left alone."
A year into the invasion, the estimated number of dead and wounded on both sides has reached more than 200,000. Many schools across Ukraine have gone back to holding lessons online this week, afraid Russia will launch fresh attacks targeting civilian infrastructure after a year of fighting.