Yevhenia Kh.: I was confused when I woke up and read the news. I was afraid to tell my grandma about the news because I did not want to scare her. The day was dull and a bit stressful. I was attentive to everything and tried not to panic.
Nazar K.: Like many other Ukrainian children, I was woken up with the words: "Get up, the war has started!" I was down in the dumps and shocked, and I couldn't recognize if this was reality or a nightmare. Many Ukrainian cities were shelled with Russian missiles and bombs. A lot of citizens were forced to flee from their homes because the tanks invaded their cities. The Russian Federation has started a full scale invasion into my country.
Arina M.: February 24th is a day I will remember forever because something happened that I could never even think of: war. I woke up at 6 a.m. from the voices of my parents who were talking about something loud. A few minutes later, my mother came into my room and said that the war was over [DG1] [DG2] and that an alarming suitcase should be packed. My panic was quite strong at that moment. My parents and I were very worried about my sister, because at that time she was trying to get out of [...], where it all began. Fortunately, everything went smoothly and she was home in an hour. All day, and for even a whole week, I sat in front of the TV watching the news to fully understand what to do. My parents, at this time, tried to keep everything calm. We didn't plan to leave the city, although at first I wanted to get away from it all. When I remember this day, I usually have sad emotions. I think it's not fair to attack our country like that. Before the war, my life was wonderful and I did my favorite things. Every day was full of benefits for me and for others and I felt the maximum pleasure from each day. But now everything has changed... I really hope that soon we will return to a normal life or even a better life than before. Just at the moment I thank God that I am safe and together with my family, this is all that is important to me right now
Valentyn K.: My mother woke me up with the words: “Russia attacked us.” 24th of February–the worst day of my life. My little brother was scared of alarms. My grandparents and close friends and family stayed in Ukraine.
Mykhailo S.: I woke up from what my mother told me, "Get up, we're going to my grandmother's, the war has begun." We were stunned, but I was not afraid, rather I thought, "Shit, he actually did it." We rode into the village to my grandmother with great disappointment. Along the way to her home, we saw endless queues for fuel. When we arrived, we were seized by gadgets that allowed us to monitor the events that were taking place in our country.
Vladyslav H.: I woke up because of the calls from relatives at 6 o'clock. In the first hours, everything was decided in a panic. After lunch, a decision was made regarding our future stay. We went from our home to our relatives’ house at the other end of town.
Bohdan M.: On February 24th, 2022, I woke up from the fact that the house was in turmoil. At first I did not understand what had happened and did not pay attention until I read on the Internet that the war had begun. The day was kind of anxious, but not calm. [DG3] I was constantly watching the news about what was happening in Ukraine. After the war, [DG4] I had to move to Poland for a while. It is good but uneasy for Ukraine, I hope that by May we will win and be able to return to Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine! Key words: 1. Experience 2. Compassion 3. Javelin 4. Shelter 5. Anxiety 6. Stress
Mykola O.: February 24th. I was woken up, went into the kitchen, where I noticed that the TV was on, where there was emergency news about the invasion of Russian troops in Ukraine. At first I was not even surprised and continued the morning rituals. My mother came into the room and said that I would not go to school today (due to events). I was interested in what was happening, so I spent the whole day studying information about Russia's attack on Ukraine. My parents considered security options and my father bought food in large quantities (enough for two months). My mother was busy with household chores. In the evening, my parents decided to move temporarily to my grandmother’s.
Anna Ya.: I woke up because my mother woke me up with the words: "The war in the country has begun." It was a very busy and exciting[DG5] day. Everyone felt anxious and had various unpleasant feelings. This day divided people's lives into before and after.
Vlada T.: On February 24th, the life of every Ukrainian turned upside down. On the first day, my father, who, by the way, is a very calm person, told me to sit at home and not panic. He told me that there was no need to worry. So I just called friends and family and started to watch movies. In the following days, my friend was coming to my house and spending time with me. From time to time we ran to the basement, but I still treated everything that was happening calmly. This is how the first days of the war passed, before, unfortunately, I went to another country.
Tetiana L.: I woke up because I didn't understand why no one woke me up for school, and a few seconds later, on the news, I heard that a war had started in the country. At first I felt panic and fear. For the next couple of hours we called friends, acquaintances, and watched the news. After a few hours we decided what to do next–we packed up our things and went to Grandma's.