Alla’s Story

Alla, a 39-year old legal worker from the Okhtyrka, Sumy region, was separated from her 13-year old daughter, Soniia, on the first day of the war. Her husband took Soniia to Alla’s house in the village of Boromlya, which he thought safe. Almost immediately, the road between Boromlya and Okhtyrka was cut off by the destruction of a bridge across the river. The town of Trostyanets and the region between them was quickly occupied by Russian troops.

Okhtyrka is under continuous bombardment by heavy artillery and, after another in a series of attacks, Alla’s house was completely destroyed. On the tenth day of war, Alla managed to find an evacuation bus to the city of Poltava. Her husband, risking their lives, used detour roads to take Soniia to the train station.

Alla and Soniia arrived together in Lviv to spend the night in someone’s office, eventually catching a passing car to the border checkpoint with Poland.

Her husband and parents remain in Okhtyrka, to take care of their bedridden grandmother.