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Reuters

Brothers in abandoned Ukrainian village live a childhood shaped by war

Reuters · Recent
Reuters
Reuters
Recent

Before Russia invaded Ukraine, Varvara Tupkalenko's two sons played with miniature cars. Today, toy guns and mortar barrels can be found in their living room in the village of Kalynove.

BreakdownGenerated by LeadStory AI
  • Andriy and Maxim are the only children left in Kalynove, near Ukraine's border.
  • Their father was killed on the front line, deeply affecting the family. 1m 8s
  • The boys' play now centers on war games with toy weapons and makeshift checkpoints. 1m 45s
  • The family moves between the village and Kharkiv for safety, but both places remain dangerous. 2m 36s
  • The boys have missed years of in-person schooling and show signs of psychological trauma. 3m 31s
Military & Conflict