The war caught Valeriia and her family in Mariupol. The girl’s father was urgently called to the military unit. Valeriia spent several weeks in the city, where there was no electricity, gas, or communication. They cooked meals over a fire, and all this under constant shelling. Shells hit their apartment building. When it became extremely dangerous, Valeriia drove a car for the first time, although she had little practice. Together with her mother, grandmother, disabled uncle and their cat, she was able to leave Mariupol.