At the age of nine, Illia Matviienko endured the loss of his mother and life under occupation. He was on the verge of being deported to russia. 

In March 2022, during the shelling of Mariupol, Illia and his mother, Nataliia, sustained severe injuries. They were taken in by a neighbour. However, the following day, Illia’s mother died from blood loss. Because of the constant shelling, the neighbour buried the woman in the yard.  Illia was left alone.

Soon afterwards, the russian occupiers transferred the injured boy to a hospital in occupied Donetsk. There, he spent more than a month without any relatives by his side. Illia was already being prepared for transfer to russia together with other Ukrainian children who had found themselves in occupied territory. 

His grandmother, Olena Matviienko, learned about her grandson’s fate. She began fighting to bring him back. Olena appealed to government institutions, international organisations and volunteers, and later embarked on a difficult journey through several countries in order to reach occupied Donetsk. She managed to retrieve Illia literally on the eve of his transfer.

Today, Illia lives with his grandmother in Ukraine, attends school, and shares his story at international forums. He reminds the world of the Ukrainian children who have endured war, the loss of loved ones, occupation, and deportation.