Every night we can hear the shooting. Our part of the village is located along the highway to Horlivka. The line of demarcation is just a few kilometers away, round the corner. And every night we can see the bright red sky through the broken roof.

I always wear my hat and coat in the house. The temperature inside is plus four. We can't, however, afford to heat it throughout the day. We have no water supply. You can collect it in a water fountain in the courtyard. Though it is not easy to do this in winter.

I have suffered from a serious disease-cephalitis - for ten years. There is no one to help me. The only family left is my mother, who is also ill. An MRI was made only once over the years. I don't have the money for a second check-up.

 My two-year-old daughter Ksiusha also has poor health. I brought her to this world despite being advised not to do it. I thought that when the baby was born I would have a reason to live, and the disease would regress. But it didn't get any better.

 I'm 32 years old. When I was twenty, I never would have thought that life would become so unbearable. I dreamed of having a family of my own and a time-honored profession. To pay for my university education, I worked as a cleaner…