When the war broke out, Volodymyr was in Kyiv, but as his mother remained in Borodianka, he decided to get to her. He walked on foot, not knowing that the city had already been captured by the enemy. Because of his clothes, which looked like a military uniform, the russian invaders grabbed him and threw him into a basement. He spent two weeks in inhumane conditions, with little or no food, under constant abuse. He was saved by unexpected help: a girl who pretended to cooperate with the occupiers helped him escape. Despite all the horror he had experienced, Volodymyr did not lose faith, and both then and now he has no doubt that Ukraine will survive and win.