A new normal for schoolkids in Ukraine

Surrounded by shards of broken glass and rubble, Sofia Zhyr, 14, sitting at her desk in the remains of her classroom in the Chernihiv School No.21, which was bombed by Russian forces on March 3, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, on Aug 30. Photo: AP

The first day of school in Ukraine on Sept 1 didn’t include children sharing memories of fun vacations with their families. Their stories were of surviving war. For many, their last day of school was the day before the Feb 24 Russian invasion of their country.

At least 379 children have been killed since the war began, while the whereabouts of 223 others are unknown, according to Ukraine’s General Prosecutors office.