"I came out of my house, I was worried about my own mother, so I went to see her. She lived in the street right next to ours," said Natalia, who explained how she was allowed to pass through a first Russian army checkpoint. "I then walked towards my mother"s house, raised my hands in the air - saying I"d already been told I could pass - but the soldier fired a burst from his machine gun, hitting me in the legs, everywhere from the waist down."