As Russian forces shift their military focus to the east, some Ukrainians who fled their homes early in the invasion are venturing back to see what’s left of their lives and whether they can start to rebuild.

Daryna Tarasenko, a 27-year-old portrait photographer who abandoned her Kyiv apartment on the day of the Feb. 24 attack, returned last week after spending a month in a Romanian border town to find her home undamaged.

"The main reason was homesickness,” Tarasenko said by phone after traveling more than 700 kilometers (430 miles) back to the capital with her husband and dog. "I even missed my dishes at home.”