More than 13 million people had to leave their homes in Ukraine because of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Of these 13 million, more than five million went to neighbouring countries to escape the war.
In Germany, around 780,000 Ukrainians are registered as refugees. During my visit to a camp for refugees at the Red Cross Centre in Frankfurt on the Oder, I met some young Ukrainians. For those who couldn’t manage to find a place to stay with relatives or friends, it was the first point of reception in Germany after crossing the Polish-German border.

After going through the first reception point, most families and unaccompanied minors were distributed throughout Germany. Yet some of them stayed in Frankfurt on the Oder.
In my series are the stories of young people, many of whom came unaccompanied by parents, who abruptly found themselves in a new world with unspoken rules, romantic dramas, secrets, dreams and plans. Over the next few months they will learn to grow up, be adults and make decisions about their futures under dramatic new circumstances.