The story of a family from an occupied territory strikes us with drama. 14-year-old Vladyslav, 10-year-old Polina, and their older brother Roman, a former ATO participant, endured severe trials.

Roman secretly continued to cooperate with Ukrainian intelligence, passing on important information under the watchful eye of the occupiers. It caught the attention of the FSB, who regularly visited the family with searches and interrogations.

One day, when FSB agents came to their home again and began brutally beating Roman, 14-year-old Vlad couldn’t take it anymore. Grabbing a stick, he rushed to defend his brother. The parents managed to stop their son, but this moment became a turning point for the entire family. They realized that even a child was ready to resist to protect loved ones.

The most severe challenge came when the FSB ordered Roman to build an electric torture device. Refusal would be a death sentence for Roman. He asked his younger brother for help, who, understanding the possible consequences, felt compelled to agree. This decision weighed heavily on the boy, as he knew the device could be used against Roman too.

Every time the FSB took his brother away, Vlad risked his life and secretly followed their car. When he was asked why he did this, the boy calmly replied, “If they suddenly kill my brother, I want to know where to look for his body so I can bury him as a hero.”

Meanwhile, 10-year-old Polina faced another horrifying aspect of occupation daily – propaganda at school. She’d return home confused, asking her parents, “Why did you say we live in Ukraine? At school, they say there’s no such country, that everything Ukrainian should be destroyed.” The girl cried sincerely, unable to understand who to believe, “because books can’t contain lies.” This situation vividly shows how the occupiers try to erase Ukrainian identity from childhood.

Despite all the difficulties, the family stuck together, supporting each other. Their resilience and dedication to Ukraine eventually gave them a chance at salvation. Thanks to the efforts of the Save Ukraine team, Vladislav and Polina were successfully evacuated from the occupied territory.

The children finally reached safety, reuniting with their older brother Roman, who had managed to escape to Ukrainian-controlled territory earlier. Today, they start a new life together, free from fear and propaganda.