How 8 Years of Occupation Changed a Girl from Donetsk: “I Didn’t Consider Myself Ukrainian”

Evelyn with her classmates. Photo: NewsMaker

A young woman from Donetsk recounts how years of living under Russian occupation reshaped her identity. Influenced by propaganda and isolation, she began to distance herself from her Ukrainian roots. After leaving for government-controlled territory, her perception shifted, leading to a complex emotional reckoning. The piece illustrates how occupation can distort national identity and how personal transformation can begin after re-exposure to truth and freedom.

Read the full article in NewsMaker (Moldova) here.