After the outbreak of war, she left Ukraine headlong for Switzerland. Four years later, Kseniya Latko can no longer imagine returning to her homeland.
02/24/2026, 08:0302/24/2026, 08:03
In her hometown of Zaporizhzhia, located in southeastern Ukraine, Kseniya Latko lived with her family in an apartment in an upscale neighborhood on the banks of the Dnieper River. She worked as a prison guard, her husband as a construction manager. “We had a good life,” she said when she reported to CH Media about her escape to Switzerland in March four years ago.
New home on the Limmat: Kseniya Latko.Image: Private archive / chmedia
After Putin’s attack, the then 46-year-old woman and her 17-year-old son packed the bare essentials in 40 minutes to leave Ukraine. On March 5th they found shelter with a host family in Zurich for three months. Latko had learned some German in her school days and was able to communicate well with Google translation. She appreciated that the refugees from her country were welcomed with open arms. However, the fact that she was dependent on outside support and social assistance was a problem for her. She didn’t want to live at the expense of others.
Full-time work as a nurse in a retirement home
Now, almost four years later, Latko speaks fluent standard German. She rarely looks up a word during a telephone conversation with this newspaper. She has been working full-time in a retirement home in the city of Zurich for two and a half years. Has been living with the host family in a 2-room rental apartment since the end of the three-month stay. She has been making her living completely alone for two and a half years. In the summer of 2022, her husband also moved to Switzerland. They enjoy swimming in Lake Zurich, strolling through the city and traveling to neighboring countries.
It took her husband longer to gain a foothold in the working world. But his services have been in demand on construction sites in and around the canton of Zurich for a year now. With the placement of a temporary office and the reduction of labor market hurdles for Ukrainians, it is now possible to earn a double income.
The younger son is currently attending school in Switzerland. Ksenyia Latko and her husband are worried about their older son. He, who used to look to the right as a border guard at Zaporizhzhia airport, defended his country at the front. But the military operation took its toll; The 32-year-old man is in poor health and can no longer carry a weapon. Latko says he is not receiving appropriate medical treatment. He has to carry out auxiliary services, dig trenches, chop wood, and supply the troops.
Latko wishes he could move to Switzerland, but there is a general ban on leaving the country for men of military age. Zaporizhzhia is contested. Rocket strikes are a daily occurrence, water and power supplies are regularly interrupted, and many people have left the city. Russia occupied a large part of the oblast of the same name and unilaterally annexed it in violation of international law; the city still remains under Ukrainian control.
Shortly after the outbreak of war in Ukraine, Kseniya Latko and her son found new accommodation with a host family in Zurich. Pets were also welcome.Image: Valentin Hehli / chmedia
Kseniya Latko has never returned to Ukraine since she arrived in Zurich. She loves her country and often thinks of the friends who stayed there. “My biggest fear is that I will never be able to go back to my hometown and visit my parents’ grave,” she says. But she cannot imagine returning to Ukraine: “I see my future in Switzerland. I feel calm and free here.”
Of course, Latko needed some time to get to grips with Switzerland’s administrative processes. But she has long since arrived here, made friends and got used to the mentality. She wants to develop professionally. After completing a nursing assistant course with the Swiss Red Cross, she financed further training on how to deal with dementia patients herself. She is currently learning again; she qualifies for the field of palliative care.
In one year she will be able to apply for a residence permit. Her wish for Switzerland is that it honors the integration efforts that she and many compatriots have made.
Latko only has positive words to say about Switzerland and the Swiss: “Switzerland is my second home and has taken me in like a daughter.” She considers it generous that she was allowed to keep her cat and six guinea pigs with the host family – five have since died – and that the animals were fully examined and vaccinated. She doesn’t take it for granted that she was initially paid for an apartment, insurance, German courses and training to become a nurse. She has never heard anyone speak badly about her or her husband; she is also treated openly and warmly at work.
Latko took advantage of the opportunity Switzerland gave her. She hopes that people in this country know: “We Ukrainians are very grateful for this.” (aargauerzeitung.ch)