💬 “I would choose a quick death over a long and painful one,” confesses Artem, who, at just 14 years old, has already endured the horrors of the occupation in his own home. Before the war, the boy lived an ordinary life, just like hundreds of thousands of his peers in Ukraine: school, fun, and friends. But after the arrival of Russian troops, his life has changed forever.

Artem had to attend a Russian school, where propaganda was pushed instead of education. There, they offered him the chance to join the “Youth Army,” which provided certain privileges: excursions, weapons training, and competitions. But Artem was not interested — hishis dream was to return to Ukraine.

His greatest worry, however, was for his older brother, who served as an intelligence officer in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In the first days of the occupation, Roman was in hiding, and every day was a test for the family, living in constant fear for his life. Later, Russian soldiers came several times to take him for interrogation. They forced him to make a device that delivered electric shocks, and then they tortured Roman with that same device.

One day, the Russians took his brother to a minefield and ordered him to run across it, or else they would shoot him. Artem watched all of this horror from his hiding place, powerless to help.

Eventually, thanks to his connections with Ukrainian intelligence, Roman managed to escape. However, the threat to the family remained — FSB agents repeatedly came to their home searching for the older brother.

Thanks to the efforts of the Save Ukraine team, Artem was evacuated from the occupied territory and is now safe. He dreams of the future and aspires to become a soldier or a police officer.

💔 This is just one of thousands of stories about what families endure under occupation. The occupation leaves invisible scars that hurt for years. Artem’s story is just one of many. People in the occupied territories live in constant fear and uncertainty.

🎥 Watch our video to learn more about the trials Ukrainians endure under occupation. These stories must be heard. Share this story.

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