"Grandma screamed "Katya, take cover!" And my granddaughter had blood on her fingers"

I live in Luhansk Oblast, the city of Popasna. On 17 November 2017, my daughter Katya was wounded. She was in Grade 3 at the time.

Katya had already come home from school. It was about 12 o'clock. She just sat down to have lunch with grandmother when a shell flew into the yard. They didn't understand what happened at once – everything was falling, down, shattered by a the blast wave, glass was al over the place.

My daughter was sitting with her back to the door, so she was blown away by the explosion. We were so frightened. Grandma screamed "Katya, take cover!" She had blood on her fingers...

We were at work, and it was a lunch-time. Then something fell. Everyone knew the routine: when something exploded nearby, parents were notified. I called my dad, and he said: "A shell was dropped." I came home from work immediately.

My daughter and I were taken to hospital. When we returned home, everything was destroyed. Winter was at the doorstep, and we have no windows or doors in our house. The roof was also battered. However, we didn't go anywhere.

My daughter and I were taken to hospital. When we returned home, everything was destroyed. Winter was at the doorstep, and we have no windows or doors in our house. The roof was also battered. However, we didn't go anywhere.

Her nervous system was most  affected. When they shoot,  daughter hears ringing in her ears. So she covers herself with a blanket to feel safe.

When Katya stays in the room by herself and something falls somewhere, she runs to me, because she is afraid. I think it will last a lifetime.

No one expected all this. When all the shooting started, everyone was terrified. People hid in basements. When Popasna was captured, we saw air-crafts in the sky constantly. They attacked from the sky.  I think everyone would be afraid when he or she sees a shell drop.

We often hid in the basement. You just sit there and worry that it won't hit the basement. After all, the cases when a basement was hit did happen. You can still die even if you hide.

The war changed a lot in my life. We used to walk and were not afraid of anything, but now we are afraid of everything. You worry about your child all the time. You feel all the pain by yourself. If they start shooting, you fear for everyone. You're afraid of losing your loved ones. I believe that the main thing is to know that everyone is alive and well. Homes can be restored. 

First and foremost everyone dreams of is peace to come. We wish that war would end, we would live as we did before, and we were not afraid of anything.