Her hamlet of Limany, in southern Ukraine, is constantly shelled by Russian troops. A shell that blew out her windows also blew a hole in the town hall.

The ex-headmistress won’t go: “This is my property, and I don’t want to be moved to another county and preserved. I’m sure we’ll win, matter how hard and cruel it will be.”

Unlike in the north, the Russians have advanced in the east and south. The Russians’ refocus on the Donbas and the southern shore might make the withdrawal from Kyiv even more problematic.

“I was stunned,” she admits. “I watched the shrapnel fly. I wasn’t struck, but the shrapnel burned holes in my curtains.”