Natalia's face lights up as she recalls the moment of her liberation - when the hated occupiers were forced from her village, Novovoznesenske, in the southern region of Kherson.
She farmed there in peace and quiet until the Russians arrived on 29 March. What they did not destroy, they stole, she says, including forks and spoons, and the shoes from a pensioner's feet.
"They were a rabble," she tells me, wringing her hands as she relives her trauma.
Freedom finally came on 2 September.
"When our armed forces arrived, we were in the basement," says the 50-year-old.
"They asked, in Ukrainian, 'is anyone alive?' and I realised they were ours. They were so handsome, so beautiful especially compared to the fascists [her term for Russian forces].
"I didn't know what to do with them - if I should hug them or hold their hands? I touched them and I was very happy."
Ukraine war: Shock and joy in newly liberated villages
"They asked 'is anyone alive?' and I realised they were ours," says one woman. "They were so beautiful."
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It was the first major Ukrainian city to fall after the invasion and is just north of the Crimean peninsula (held by Russia since 2014).
We managed to reach a woman still living there - who says the Russians are starting to lie low. For her protection we are not naming her.
"Over the past two or three days, the military seem to have quietened down a bit," she tells us.
"They are less visible in cafes and restaurants. If street fighting starts it will be very dangerous.
But I will sit in the basement for days or weeks if needs be. I want to see our army here and thank them. I want to see the victory."
Also waiting for victory is a network of activists inside the city, who are resisting the Russians.
They gather intelligence on military positions and pass this to Ukrainian forces.
A member of the resistance - who we cannot identify - told us they are being hunted.
"The Russians are finding places where photos are being taken," he says. "There are mass searches of flats close to strategic vantage points. There have been two cases in the past week when people were taken from the streets."
But he says the news from the frontline is bringing hope. "People are now very encouraged by the advance around Kharkiv," he told us. "Many hope that we will be next."
Kherson city is a critical battle to come, but the advances so far have been cathartic for Ukraine and reassuring for its Western backers. If the gains are held, this could change the arc of the conflict.