The mother of the child who appears on TIME's cover shares their story of fleeing Ukraine
Artwork by JR; Photograph by Artem IurchenkoSince Russia’s invasion began, dozens of Ukraine’s 7.5 million children have been killed and thousands of others have left in search of safety. Among those thousands is 5-year-old Valeriia from Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown in central Ukraine. Her image—a smiling child, literally supported by her fellow Ukrainians—appears on one of this issue’s covers.
Now, it’s hard to say when and where Valeriia will be able to do so. On March 9, mother and daughter fled to Poland; for safety, they asked that TIME use only their first names. In an interview, Taisiia explained her decision to leave home to keep her child safe. “I love everything about her,” she said. “She is my sunshine, my joy.”We woke up early in the morning of Feb. 24 to learn the occupying army had started bombing our military bases.
It’s a terrible thing to see. Before, when you came to our cities, everything was beautiful, quiet, and calm. And now there is chaos, fear, danger. [pullquote]Every mother is afraid for her child. —The [Russians] still haven’t come to our city. Our people from Kryvyi Rih have fought them off. But they are closer and closer. I follow the news, and I can see them approaching. In the media,in Ukraine. But the war is real. People are dying for real.
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