Saniie is a mother of two and an IDP from the village of Novooleksiivka (left bank of the Kherson region), located 35 km from the temporarily occupied Crimea. On February 24, 2022, Novooleksiivka was occupied by russian troops.
“There were many russian soldiers in Novooleksiivka. They were shocked that most people didn’t leave their homes and treated the occupiers disrespectfully. The russians detained activists and sent them to the basement”, the woman said.
Saniie, her husband, and two daughters had been under occupation for seven months, and in September 2022, she decided to move to a government-controlled territory.
Saniie’s daughter suffered greatly from the occupation, which resulted in her fear of going out for seven months. She refused to go to school because of harassment for her pro-Ukrainian position.
The family left Novooleksiivka on the last day of the pseudo-referendum and arrived in Kyiv on September 29. Saniie believes that in the summer, the Armed Forces will liberate the occupied part of the Kherson region, and her children will start school in the de-occupied Novooleksiivka on September 1.
“The russian invaders have been uncomfortable in the occupied territories lately. They are morally pressured by the lack of support from the locals and a possible counteroffensive”, Saniie said.
At the beginning of May, the Vostok SOS Charitable Foundation handed over a food set to the woman’s family.
The activity is supported by the Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe as part of the project “Assistance to the war-affected population in Ukraine in winter conditions”.
