Ukrainian children head below ground at start of new school year

A first grader reacts as his teacher speaks with him during a ceremony to mark the start of the new school year, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine September 1, 2023. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian children began their second straight school year in wartime on Friday, some heading to new classrooms underground, others bracing to run to bomb shelters to take cover from Russian missiles and drones.

Many, at home and abroad, stayed online for a fourth year, their education ravaged by Russia's invasion and COVID-19.