Based on our research on the impact of extreme stress on Holocaust survivors, we questioned whether the neurobiological and psychological impact of stress could be observed during an ongoing war. We investigated Ukrainian refugee women (UG, n=43) who had been living in the Czech Republic for 2 to 6 months and compared to control group (n=20). Psychological testing: level of posttraumatic stress, Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, Anxiety Inventory, Intellectual Potential, and Digit Span Wechsler-III. MR imaging: voxel-based morphometry, functional MR, seed-based connectivity, and Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST). MRI showed enlargement of the posterior and central parts of the thalamus. The thalamus is connected with the frontal orbital gyrus and insula; the MIST revealed an impact on the parahippocampal gyrus. Conclusion: Acute and ongoing war stress had a significant neurobiological impact on refugees from war-torn Ukraine. The UG scored significantly higher in posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and depression. The thalamus modulates activity in the limbic circuitry. Correlations between MRI activation and levels of posttraumatic stress and anxiety were found in the UG. The data show the impact of acute and ongoing war-related stress on psychological features as well as on the cerebral structure and connectivity of stress-related cortical areas.