Daryna Marynenko recalls how, a few weeks before the full-scale invasion, Kharkiv residents began to leave the city en masse due to rumours of a possible escalation. However, the exact date was not known, and so when it all started on February 24, 2022, not everyone had time to prepare.

Within a day, Daryna found herself under enemy occupation, where she spent about two weeks. She says that residents of her village of Mala Rohan were injured and needed help on the spot, as all exits were blocked. Due to the lack of stable mobile communication, she felt disoriented, and only after leaving the occupation was she able to understand the scale of events in the country. She was struck by the fact that a few kilometres away from the village, in unoccupied settlements, people could go to the shops without any problems, while under the occupation it was impossible.