In Mariupol, Olena survived with her daughter. On 24 February, at 5am, she heard the first explosions. "On 2 March, I heard a plane. There was an explosion - I looked out the window. I did not realise that Port City had exploded. Everything was like one terrible day. A real hell. On 4-5 March, there was no gas supply. I flew to the neighbouring house. Three days later they came there. The plane dropped two shells, one in the yard, the other between the school and the house. I had never seen such holes. The shell hit the gym of school no. 64. 

The regional hospital. That smell of blood... The doctors tried to help. People cut by shrapnel. The moaning. There were no medicines. The shelling started. Everyone ran to the centre of the hospital. I met my friend, she was surviving there with her family". 

From 15 to 16 March, shells started flying that I had never heard before. I called my friend. He was able to leave. I had a car, it was parked at the entrance. I begged my parents to leave. On 15 March, my mum had a heart attack," says Olena, a resident of Mariupol.