"I was crying when I saw Armed Forces of Ukraine": story of 18-year-old girl who fled from occupied Donetsk region. VIDEO
An 18-year-old girl who lived in Makiivka in the occupied Donetsk region before the start of the full-scale war spoke publicly for the first time about her life under occupation and her escape to the government-controlled territory.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Suspilne.
The girl recalls that since childhood she lived in an atmosphere of fear and propaganda: from the seventh grade onwards, the Ukrainian language disappeared from her school, and all classes were taught in Russian. However, the girl secretly studied at a Ukrainian school remotely in Sloviansk. Her pro-Russian parents did not know about this.
"Makiivka is next to Donetsk. I didn't even realise we were living under occupation," she recalls.
Despite the risks, the girl maintained her pro-Ukrainian position, fearing reprisals. She hid not only her views but also her escape plan, even from her family. At first, she did not know that there were volunteers who helped to leave the occupation, so she did not dare to act for a long time.
After the start of the full-scale invasion, she had been waiting for six months before she could carry out her plan. "When I was crossing the border, I was just crying. I saw the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who helped me and carried my suitcases. I could not believe it. This was my dream," she said.
