A 16 anni fuggì dall’occupazione russa – da sola – poiché i suoi genitori volevano rimanere indietro. A 20 anni, in una vita segnata dalla solitudine e dal dolore, dice senza mezzi termini: “Voglio che la Russia scompari semplicemente”

Twenty-year-old Viktoria was born in Kherson region. She says she loves the sea and misses her family who remain in the occupied territory. In 2022, she found herself under occupation, but after three months, she managed to leave on her own. At that time, she was in her final year of school. Viktoria says that life under occupation was difficult for her because she does not speak russian and communicates exclusively in Ukrainian. She still has nighmares about the occupation.

>“For me, the war began at five in the morning on February 22, 24 February, when the full-scale invasion started. My mother woke me and said that we needed to leave our village for a safer one. My village was occupied by 10 a.m. on the day of the invasion, so I could have faced various dangers, from shelling to ‘searches’”.

For the first two months in the village, they did not know what was happening because there was no mobile connection or internet. Later, Viktoria returned to her village but did not leave the house. Her classmates who were also pro-Ukrainian behaved the same way. Viktoria’s parents welcomed the occupation and tried to convince her that their lives would improve.

>“It hurt me deeply to see her rejoice. I felt physical pain. I felt completely alone in that. When the russians set up checkpoints everywhere, my stepfather told me not to be afraid because the russians were ‘good” 

At the same time – during the occupation, Viktoria and her family feared famine because the russians had banned all humanitarian aid. 

>“Before the full-scale invasion, I had read about torture chambers in Donetsk. Being in the occupation was the most frightening experience for me. When it happened, I was very scared because I knew what could happen in such conditions. And that’s exactly what happened”

Since her parents refused to leave, Viktoria convinced her mother to let her go alone. 

>“There were many rusted-out cars that the russians had shot at at the start of the full-scale invasion. I think they left them on purpose to scare people trying to leave. I was 16 and didn’t fully understand the situation, so I took some pro-Ukrainian things, like a Sternenko hoodie, a necklace with the Ukrainian flag, and a Ukrainian flag. I realized I had made a mistake, but I was very lucky that they weren’t inspecting all belongings that day, just phones” 

Although her parents do not approve of her actions, Viktoria still communicates with them. She manages to call her mother once every three days, who complains that their village is under shelling. It pains Viktoria that her mother still believes russia will occupy Ukraine and tells her daughter various falsehoods about life in Ukraine, such as Lviv being occupied by Poles and mistreatment of internally displaced people.

>“I really want russia to simply disappear. But that’s an unrealistic dream. Realistically, I would love to return and see my parents. That is my greatest dream right now” 

[https://suspilne.media/lviv/1097190-hocu-sob-rosia-prosto-znikla-intervu-z-20-ricnou-viktorieu-aka-viihala-z-rosijskoi-okupacii/](https://suspilne.media/lviv/1097190-hocu-sob-rosia-prosto-znikla-intervu-z-20-ricnou-viktorieu-aka-viihala-z-rosijskoi-okupacii/) 

SHE will be at home in a SOVEREIGN AND INDEPENDENT UKRAINE.

Her parents? Not so much.

That would work for me.

Feeling this on so many levels.