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Reuters

Brothers in abandoned Ukraine village live a childhood shaped by war

Reuters · New
Reuters
Reuters
New

Before Russia invaded Ukraine, Varvara Tupkalenko's two sons played with miniature cars like most other boys their age. Today, toy guns and mortar barrels can be found in their living room in the village of Kalynove, some nine miles from the Russian border in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

BreakdownGenerated by LeadStory AI
  • Andriy and Maxim are the last two children remaining in the village of Kalynove, near Ukraine's border with Russia.
  • The boys' father was killed on the front line, and their play now centers on war games among destroyed vehicles. 1m 8s
  • Their mother moves them between the village and Kharkiv for safety, but both places face ongoing threats. 2m 36s
  • The boys have not attended school in years, with remote learning replacing classroom education due to the war. 3m 31s
  • Family members and aid groups highlight the psychological toll of the conflict on the children, including anxiety and anger. 3m 41s
Family & ParentingMilitary & Conflict