'These children see war as a daily thing'

The plight of children affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine will be recognised in a community art project in Bradford.

Crushed Childhood will include sculptures of destroyed buildings marked with charcoal symbolising the coal mining industry of Ukraine's embattled Donbas region.

This week marked four years since the Russian invasion, on 24 February 2022.

Ewhen Chymera, who has organised the event for Bradford's Ukrainian Community Centre, said the installation would highlight how the war "continues to impact children every single day".

Chymera said: "Thousands and millions of them have been displaced from their homes, others continue to live in areas where bombs, drones, explosions, air raids go on every single day, as well as the abductions and the loss of families and friends.

"The key message here is whilst the war may have gone out of the news to an extent or comes and goes, this war continues to impact children every single day, even those that have fled to safer regions, such as our sort of area here in West Yorkshire."

Data from the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission reported more than 700 children and 13,000 civilians have died as a result of the conflict.

Alongside the art installation, the centre will hold a moment of remembrance later for those who have lost their lives in the war and to thank those serving on the front lines.

Bradford's Ukrainian community is one of the biggest in the UK, having been established after World War Two with many working in the city's textile mills after being displaced from their homeland.

Chymera said many children in the community, some of whom are fourth-generation Ukrainian, are also feeling the impact of the war.

"While they may speak Ukrainian, understand Ukrainian and feel Ukrainian at heart, they have never actually been to their homeland because of the lack of stability or the war," he said.

"Inevitably it is a very difficult conversation with a child but they know about the loss, they know about friends and family.

"They have also got Ukrainian refugee friends now as well who have that direct link.

"That death is a daily occurrence is horrific, but children are very resilient and a lot of these children just see war as a daily thing sadly."

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