While attending a health and recreation camp in Sweden as part of the Kyiv–Stockholm sister city program, Junior Diplomatic Academy students shared the truth about Ukraine with local media

2. We invite you to explore Joachim Kerpner’s article in translation:

Ulyana, 16, has just come through another night in a bomb shelter.

Now she sits in class, barely able to stay awake.

“Every day in Kyiv is dangerous. But last night was one of the worst,” she says.

The teenage student speaks about the relentless drone and missile attacks on Kyiv that continue to disrupt both her education and everyday life.

After a devastating night that claimed lives and destroyed buildings, both students and teachers are struggling with exhaustion and anxiety. Despite blackouts and constant danger, Ulyana remains focused on her studies, determined to pursue international relations and one day become a diplomat.

On Friday night, Russia once again attacked Ukraine’s capital with drones and missiles. Residential buildings caught fire, at least six people were killed, and more than 20 were injured.

Ulyana Hryhorenko, who lives in central Kyiv, recalls how bombs were falling while she and her family sheltered underground:

“The explosions were incredibly loud. I slept maybe one or two hours. It was a terrifying night — many buildings were reduced to rubble, and people were killed,” she says.

Ulyana was at a Swedish summer camp in Roslagen earlier this year, where she was interviewed by Aftonbladet. Photo: Niklas Hammarström

Her family’s three chihuahuas stayed with them in the shelter.

“They get very scared when the explosions happen,” she says.

With sirens still sounding in the background, she explains that many students stayed home that Friday because they were simply too exhausted.

“Thank God our school wasn’t hit. But the school my father attended was. And a building near our home,” she adds.

“I’m sitting in class now, and I keep falling asleep during lessons.”

“Afraid the shelter could be hit”

“I fall asleep in the middle of class — I’m just that tired,” she says after another nearly sleepless night.

Sometimes, when air raid sirens force classes into shelters during the day, lessons continue in cramped conditions, with around 200 people gathered in one space.

“It’s awful — crowded, noisy, and you’re constantly afraid a bomb could hit the shelter. It’s hard to focus.”

As an eleventh-grade student, Ulyana is also preparing for major exams in all subjects in the coming months, which will determine her path to university.

“We have very difficult exams ahead. I’m exhausted, but I still have to keep going,” she says.

Her goal is to study at the Institute of International Relations at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and eventually become a diplomat.

“Maybe even an ambassador — to stand up for those who have no voice,” she says.

Earlier this year, during another drone attack, her chihuahua Rosa sat on her lap for three hours while they hid in a bathroom.

Electricity was cut off for several hours on Friday morning, both at home and at school, but has since been restored. Ukraine’s energy system remains under heavy strain due to repeated attacks.

“We often have power outages for four hours a day. It’s hard, but we’ve adapted. We use flashlights to study, cook on gas stoves, and rely on battery-powered lamps,” she explains.

She expects a difficult winter ahead, with cold indoor temperatures and planned outages to stabilize the system.

“But this won’t be our first hard winter. We will get through it,” says Ulyana Hryhorenko.