LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — While the Ukraine army has held strong, a trail of death and devastation is left behind and that desperation is being felt in Arkansas.
It's been a year of challenges and hardships for Ukrainians like Yuliia, who moved to Central Arkansas three years ago. She's watched the war unfold in her home country from thousands of miles away.
"It's very sad," Yuliia said. "Honestly. I think for the first like, maybe four months, I was not going out of the news. I was reading. I was checking the area where my family is."
Yuliia said her family is doing ok and she talks to them every day, but she has lost a friend in the war.
"It's very heavy on the heart," Yuliia said.
Even though she's been in the United States this past year, she did experience some of the war a few years earlier.
"At the beginning, I was crying," Yuliia said. "I was shaking."
However, over time, she adjusted to the new normal, just like her mother currently is in Ukraine.
"I'm afraid for them," Yuliia said. "They don't want to move and my mom is very confident like they're not going to get us."
Even though they're far apart, she said her mom's strength inspires her.
"I think it's inspired the whole world," Yuliia said. "Nobody expects that people will be so strong."
Yuliia said the support from all around the world is helping her get through this tough time.
"I have some people which live in Maumelle and they're asking, like how to help how to bring people where to find," Yuliia said. "I have some organizations, I have some people from church, which asked him how we can bring people who are looking."
Yuliia said she appreciates the prayers from all over the world.
"They're not going to give up and they're very strong," Yuliia said. "They know who they are."