蜜芽传媒

Ukrainian officials have accused Russian troops of violating the ceasefire in the eastern city of Kharkiv, to prevent planned evacuations from taking place there.

Iryna lives with her husband and two children near the centre of the besieged city of Kharkiv. Newsday asked her to describe her day in a short audio diary.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 hear bombs these two days. We can hear our anti-aircraft shooting but we鈥檙e used to them so we don鈥檛 run anywhere.鈥�

鈥淥ur children... they know about the situation... they want to go to the underground shelter because there are other children there. They would like to play with them. So even without signals [or air raid sirens] they go down to play together.鈥�

鈥淲hen the civilian day ends some shooting in the streets begin. You cannot forget that it鈥檚 war.鈥�

(Photo: Armed Ukrainian Territorial Defence soldiers standing guard in Kharkiv's central square; Credit: EPA)