Hello, dear committee. My name is Veronika Sheldagaieva. I'm 17 years old. I'm from Kherson, which is a city in Ukraine that was militarily occupied by Russians in March 2022 when I was 13. I lived under the military occupation for seven months. I'm here to speak because I escaped, but many have not.

At the beginning of the occupation, people took to the streets to protest against the invasion and against Russia. My teachers and friends were among those who protested, but then Russians started shooting them at protests.

In the early days, in states of panic, people emptied all of the food from shops. Later, food was rarely replenished. Some farmers from villages attempted to bring in provisions, but the Russians halted them at checkpoints and took half of their supplies. The queues for bread were endless. My parents were in those queues for a long time. We couldn't find toothpaste anywhere, and yeast was being exchanged by people as if it was as valuable as gold. I remember how my parents used to divide groceries at home to make them last as long as possible, so there would be enough for everyone.

At checkpoints and even on the streets, Russian soldiers would check people's phones. If they found anything pro-Ukrainian, they would send people to their makeshift prisons. We called this “being taken to the cellar”.

During occupation, I ran my own volunteer educational online project. One day, an unknown woman messaged me on Telegram and said that it was clear from my posts that I had a pro-Ukrainian position and that I should follow certain safety rules. I was scared because, if some stranger found my contact, anyone could do it. People there live in such a paranoid state constantly.

In the early months, Ukrainian communications networks were already blocked. For a while, people lived entirely without communication, which is very difficult for a modern person. We couldn't even find out about the danger because there was no air alarm in the city. It was a state of complete uncertainty.

The Russians held a pseudo-referendum, going door to door with guns and ballots. Obviously, those who refused to participate were in great danger. Yes, with weapons in their hands, Russians even came to my relatives' apartment.

Soldiers also came to my school. They scared our management and forced them onto their side. They told the parents that if their children refused to attend the occupied schools under a Russian curriculum full of propaganda, they would be deprived of their parental rights and the children would be sent to orphanages. At the same time, school activities at schools for some people I know.... They ended up being deported to Russia without their consent. I didn't go to that school. I was afraid that I could be taken away. When someone knocked on the door, I used to hide.

Eventually, my family and I decided to leave. There was never a safe way out of the occupied territories. We were scared to leave, but it was equally risky to remain there. We were on the road for one week. The occupation authorities organized metal rafts that were pulled across the Dnieper River by motorboats. It was a very risky construction. A rocket hit it within a half an hour after my family and I used it.

Now I live on the other side of the front line and nothing of this is in my life anymore. All that is left are my memories. Despite the horrors I live with, I believe in the world that helps Ukraine. I believe in Ukraine. I believe in Ukrainian teenagers. We fight. We do a lot of things. We believe and we are strong.

Thank you.

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