Ukraine War

Avdiivka, eastern Ukraine, Nov. 2017.

Valentina Fedorovna, 83, in her backyard, on the outskirts of Avdiivka.

The house is on the frontline and has been badly damaged by heavy artillery shelling from Russia-led forces.

A shell hit the front of her house on 23/5/17, smashing all the windows in the front, and spraying shrapnel into the rooms, but the house had already suffered damage from previous shelling and sniper fire.

The sounds of explosions and gunfire can be heard every day, but she tries to carry on as normal, while receiving and giving support to the few elderly neighbours she has left.

She has lived in the area all her life and moved to this house in the 1960’s when she got married.

Her children are constantly asking her to move in with them but she vows never to leave -
‘I have been building my house for many years, how can I leave it alone’.