Yuliia grew up in Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine. The city is only 40 kilometres from the Russian border and is a strategic point to defend. In the early days of the invasion, Kharkiv fought back a large armoured column and since then, it has suffered nightly airstrikes and shelling, with dozens of civilians killed and hundreds injured. Yuliia arrived in West Sussex soon after the war started and now lives near the sea. Life will never be the same again she says and she will have to start her life over, most likely in another city in Ukraine.

The experience gained in the last 2 years made me stronger