Andrii is a young man from the Luhansk region. His hometown was occupied by Russian forces almost from the first days of the full-scale invasion. Andrii was 12 years old when the full-scale invasion began. Due to the rapid occupation, his family did not have time to leave. One of his first strong impressions of the occupation was an encounter with an armed Russian soldier.

After the occupation, Andrii was forced to enter the Russian education system. His school held propaganda events, students were forced to listen to Russian anthems and participate in so-called “conversations about important topics.”

Despite the pressure, Andrii maintained a pro-Ukrainian position. At school, he was called a “zhdun” — a person waiting for Ukraine to return. This frightened him, as he understood that openly expressing a pro-Ukrainian position could attract the attention of the occupation authorities.

Due to difficult financial circumstances, his family was unable to leave for a long time. Andrii started working to help his mother save money for their departure. Once they had saved enough, Andrii and his mother left the occupied territory through a humanitarian corridor.

After returning, Andrii resumed his education in the Ukrainian education system. According to him, he once again felt that he could live fully, communicate freely and plan his future.