The Gray Zone: the only crossing from Russia into Ukraine

She was only 17 when she fled alone from Russian-occupied territory. To avoid taking a Russian passport and to return to free Ukraine, Sofia needed to abandon her mother and the place she called home.

Editor’s Note: We’re trying something new – breaking up our stories into three or four shorter issues a week, rather than the two multi-part issues we’ve been putting out. 

Here’s what that means for you: if you’re a paid subscriber, you’ll get more stories and access to relevant news of the day! And if you aren’t a paid subscriber, well, what are you wa…