An apartment hunt in Winterthur by a young Ukrainian refugee couple triggered more than 200 responses on Facebook, exposing deep divisions over welfare and displacement, according to reporting by Swiss news outlet Watson.
The Winterthur Apartment Search and the Facebook Post
Maksym Rusanov, 21, and his partner Nikol, 22, fled Charkiw earlier in the year following the escalation of the war in Ukraine, according to Watson. While Nikol traveled to Konstanz to reunite with her mother, Maksym attended apartment viewings alone in a green residential neighborhood in Winterthur on a Thursday evening in August 2026. Seeking to secure a stable home after living in separate rooms within an asylum facility, Maksym published a rental listing in a public Facebook group called “Wohnungen Schweiz,” which has more than 20,000 members, as reported by Watson.
According to Watson’s coverage, the post stated that the couple was quiet, orderly, and did not host parties. They sought an apartment in Winterthur for a maximum of 1,600 Swiss francs plus utilities, noting that the rent would be covered by social assistance. That final detail drew immediate and heavy backlash across the social media platform.
Online Backlash and Group Moderation
While standard posts in the “Wohnungen Schweiz” group typically receive few reactions, Maksym’s listing accumulated over 200 comments, largely characterized by hostility, according to Watson. Users posted remarks questioning the couple’s willingness to work, telling them to return to Ukraine, or declaring that no one invited them, with several comments reading “Sozialhilfe??? Fuck off,” as documented by Watson.
Despite more than 150 users liking the call for the couple to leave Switzerland, the administrators of the Facebook group intervened in support of Maksym and Nikol, according to Watson. The administrative team stated that relying on social assistance does not justify insults or demands for individuals to return home. Administrators removed hateful and rassist comments, banned repeat offenders, and received over 700 likes for their stance, as reported by Watson.
Context of the Displacement
Maksym recounted to Watson that he was a teenager when the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. After peers died and an explosion struck near his workplace in Charkiw, he determined that leaving the country was necessary for his future. Despite the difficulties of apartment hunting and the negative online responses, Maksym told Watson that he remains optimistic about building a quiet life in Switzerland.
Keep reading