The full-scale war broke out in the village of Kosivshchyna, where Sofiia Sotnyk lives, literally on the first day. Russian tanks were driving down the street, and her grandmother’s garden was filled with equipment.

In the evenings, the sky would be filled with the sounds of kamikaze drones and missiles. The Shaheds fly so low that you can’t fall asleep from the noise.

Sofiia’s pets can sense the attacks in advance: Her Jack Russell Terrier Chloe barks and her grandmother’s dog whines in fear even before the first strike is fired.

The girl finds peace in her art. She paints, invents workshops, makes cosplays and shares them on her blog. She says it helps her forget about the war. Her biggest dream is to have a hundred thousand subscribers and her own community of like-minded people.

Sofiia told her story as part of the Peaceful Rest for Children of Ukraine programme in Zakarpattia with the support of Rinat Akhmetov Foundation.