25 Ukrainian children arrive in Catalonia for three weeks of 'peace holidays'

25 Ukrainian children arrived in Catalonia on Friday to spend three weeks away from the horrors of war, as part of the 'Vacaciones de Paz' (Peace Holidays) initiative organized by the Spanish government delegation in Catalonia. 

The children, aged between 9 and 17, come from Ochakiv, a small town on the mouth of the Dnipro River, 10 km from the front line in southern Crimea.

Since February 2022, when the full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine began, Ochakiv has been under constant artillery and rocket fire.

With this initiative, these children will be able to enjoy three weeks in Catalonia, where they will be able to participate in cultural and leisure activities every day.

Among the activities planned are visits to theme parks, sporting events, museums and other tourist attractions in Barcelona and Catalonia.

"We're a little unaccustomed to a calm moral and physical life, and it's a little unusual here when there are no sirens, alarms, or missiles," said Irina, one of the Ukrainian children.

Organizers say the trip will help them forget the horrors of war for a short time and contribute to their personal development in a peaceful environment. 

The children live under the constant sound of war, and all their fathers are either at the front or have been killed.   

Their families are suffering constant stress due to the constant fear and bombing of the city and the risk of death or injury.

The initiative is funded by private and public entities, such as Vueling, which will cover the cost of the flights, Aqua Hotels, which will provide accommodation, and Renfe, which will finance the transportation. 

On the first week, they will stay in the Coastal city of Pineda de Mar, the second in Salou, in Tarragona's Costa Daurada, and the third in Calella.