Russian airstrikes and shelling have been hitting Ukraine's second city Kharkiv for seventeen days.
Many people have left the city in the eastern part of the country but tens of thousands remain trying to survive the relentless bombing and air attacks by Russian forces.
Dozens of civilians have been killed and hundreds have been injured.
Maria Avdeeva's family has left the city but she stayed and is determined to help save Ukraine from Russian forces.
"Many people are still in the city but the living conditions are getting worse with every day because Russia is hitting the electric facilities, heating facilities and the critical infrastructure," she said.
"It means many people in their homes and in their apartments are without electricity and heating," she added.
Maria, Research Director at the European Expert Association, also said there is a shortage of medicine and food and volunteers in the city are risking their lives every day to help others.
"We have many volunteers who provide the city with humanitarian aid even sometimes using their own cars and risking their lives.
"There is no green corridor so when you are driving a car on the road you can easily become a target for a Russian missile but people of Kharviv do that and they continue to help out military and territorial defence."
Getting food in the city is very challenging as many supermarkets are closed.
People have been queuing four hours in freezing temperatures for supermarkets.
When they finally gain access the shelves are empty with only the essentials like bread available to buy.
Yulia Tincheknko is among those trying to survive in a city under constant attack.
She said every day is a struggle for people in the city living in fear of airstrikes.
"Usually I go to the basement but last night was so cold and so frosty so I stayed at home," she said.
"I cannot feel safe anymore when I'm at home on my sofa. I cannot know if any shell is going to reach my building or not I don't know if I'll wake up in the morning or not," she said.
"If I do wake up, first of all I think: 'Wow. I am still alive. Oh my apartment is safe, my relatives are safe as well, so thank God'," she added.
"It feels really scary and you don't know which another building is going to be destroyed with Russian shells with Russian attack."
People shelter in metro stations and in basements terrified of the air strikes that are hitting the city.
Andriy, who also lives in the city, has a mattress against the windows in his apartment to protect from broken glass, in the case of a bomb attack.
He also leaves a backpack and a bag with some money in case he needs to evacuate immediately.
He has a helmet and a bulletproof vest at his front door which he wears when he leaves his home.
Andriy said: "Every day I wake up with the sounds of rockets that's exploding somewhere here maybe hundreds of metres near my house ... maybe close ... and we are not scared of some forces of Russians on the ground because our army is powerful but the rockets is a real, real problem."
As the shelling continues day after day- Ukrainians in Kharkiv remain defiant and are united in their fight to save their country.
