Girl Escaped from Occupied Donetsk: The Story of an 11-Year Life Under Propaganda

Life Under Occupation: The Story of Young Ukrainian Marta

According to glavcom.ua: When Russian aggression seized Donbas in 2014, Marta was only seven years old. To escape the war in Mariupol, her family moved to Donetsk, where pro-Russian occupation already prevailed. Over eleven years, the girl managed to hide, risking her life.

Marta recalls how in Donetsk in 2014 she was struck by a Russian propaganda poster that said: 'Donetsk is always Russia, we are one people'. As for her family, after the war, the girl's parents believed in Russian narratives, which led to a rift in the family. Now Marta lives with her aunt in Kyiv, is being treated in a hospital, and dreams of entering university, hoping for a better future for Ukraine.

Marta says: 'Donetsk, the city where I was born, has turned into North Korea. And Kyiv is the city that saved me'.

After the war began, Marta decided to escape. She learned the Ukrainian language and contacted her aunt in Kyiv. On her 18th birthday, she left Donetsk and traveled to Kyiv through Rostov in Russia, where she received assistance from the organization 'Helping to Leave'.

At the border of Belarus and Ukraine, Marta could not enter due to a lack of documents, so she had to return to Minsk while all documents were processed.

Unfortunately, the occupied cities of Donbas, particularly Donetsk and Makiivka, are facing a water supply crisis, which can cause serious hygiene problems and the potential for epidemics. Currently, dredging of the reservoir in Mariupol and the degradation of the urban environment in Donetsk is ongoing.

Summary: Marta is just one of many Ukrainians who left their hometowns in occupied Donbas due to war and uncertainty about the future. Her story illustrates the complexity of life under occupation, as well as the hope for a better life and future in Ukraine.