Explosions were heard
Participant of "History of the Strong"
Starting her story for "History of the Strong", Olena Gretska from the Kherson region recalls how three days before the war she returned with her family from vacation. "The plane was descending over Kyiv. It was night, and the lights of the capital, which were visible below, seemed like long strands of a bright, shimmering necklace. Warmth and comfort were blowing from these lights... At that time, we did not know that for the last time we would see both Kyiv and Kherson so peaceful and carefree ..."
From the Crimean side, the rumble grew.
Elena's sister informed her about the beginning of a full-scale invasion. "There was a rumbling from the Crimean side. Explosions were heard, after which the horizon lit up with beams of fire... And after a few hours, long enemy columns stretched through the streets of our village."
"Moving through the territory of our community, which is not far from the Sea of Azov, the Russians destroyed Ukrainian military units stationed in various settlements."
They demonstrated resistance occupation
The community demonstrated resistance to the occupation with rallies, until armed Russians appeared in the village after the third. The occupiers organized roundups, detained and tortured patriotic Ukrainians.
Elena recalls how difficult her emotional state was at that time. She tells how some of her compatriots went over to the side of the Russians, how the enemy sought to take over the minds of children and "bought souls" by handing out payments in rubles and Russian passports.