How a Ukrainian escaped russian occupation – twice (video interview)

08/26/2026

What does life for a Ukrainian under Russian occupation look like? Dmytro Kruk grew up under Russian occupation in Donetsk Oblast and escaped twice. In this interview, he describes forced Russian mobilization, passportization, propaganda, and the FSB filtration he endured while leaving the occupied territories.

Kruk was nine when Russian forces occupied his hometown of Khrestivka in 2014. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion, his university helped enforce mobilization, his peers were drafted into the Russian military, and everyday life became nearly impossible without a Russian passport. He eventually escaped through Russia and Latvia and is now rebuilding his life in Kyiv.

The Kyiv Independent’s Yuliia Taradiuk speaks with Kruk about growing up under Russian rule, maintaining his Ukrainian identity, and escaping occupation.