Russian-supported rebels seized control of the Ukrainian city of Donetsk two years ago. At the time, Marina Nagornaya was a first-year student at Donetsk National University. “I remember that I was walking across the city and I saw all these barricades around the buildings where authorities were. I thought, ‘what’s wrong with the people?’” Donetsk is a city of one million people. It is in eastern Ukraine, about 100 kilometers west of the Russian border. A majority of the people speak Russian. The Donetsk area has close cultural historical ties to Russia. Marina Nagornaya said life was quiet before the war. Donetsk gained fame as the host city for the 2012 European football championship. Two years later, Donetsk was a war zone. It was at the center of heavy fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists.