On the eve of the full-scale invasion, Viktoriia worked as a nurse in a kindergarten. On the evening of February 23, she warned her children that the connection might be lost and advised them not to panic and to come home immediately if they were let out of school. 

The next morning, on February 24, she woke up as usual. No explosions had been heard and everything looked calm. As she walked her children to school, Viktoriia felt a strange premonition. Her cousin from Kyiv called her and said: “Vika, it’s war!”. 

The news confirmed the worst. Her husband was working near Kyiv at the time. He was in a panic as explosions were heard nearby. It took him a whole day to get home – instead of the usual five hours. 

A few days later, the family decided to leave Varash, where the nuclear power plant is located, and move to the countryside. Viktoriia’s brother went to the military registration and enlistment office, even though he had no military experience. When she told him about the danger, he only replied: “Vika, everyone went, and what am I going to do? How am I going to look them in the eye?” 

Despite everything, Viktoriia does not lose faith: “I really want us to return all our lands. I want Crimea to be ours, and Luhansk and Donetsk to be ours. And I really want us to win.”