War in Ukraine. The horrors of war by Chernihiv

Surrounded by shards of broken glass and rubble 14-year-old Sofia Zhyr, sits at her desk in the remains of her classroom in the Chernihiv School #21, which was bombed by Russian forces on March 3, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 30 , 2022. "I was scared to come to the school the first time after it was bombed. For a long time, I was just looking at it from afar. At those moments, it seemed like nothing ever happened." Sofia said. Scraping through the rubble of the classroom they last saw on February 24 – at the start of the Russian invasion -- one group of children returned to the remains of their bombarded school on Tuesday to check the condition of their school.

Anna Skiban, 12, stands in the rubble of her former classroom, in the same position where her desk sat before the Mykhailo-Kotsyubynske's lyceum was bombed by Russian forces on March 4, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022. "I'm very sad. I can't believe this happened to my school. " Skiban said. Scraping through the rubble of the classroom they last saw on February 24 – at the start of the Russian invasion -- one group of children returned to the remains of their bombarded school on Tuesday to receive textbooks and to be instructed on how to use a bomb shelter ahead of this week's beginning of the academic year in war torn Ukraine.

Oleksandr Morhunov, 13, sits in his chair in the remains of his classroom in the Chernihiv School #21, which was bombed by Russian forces on March 3, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 30 , 2022. "When I'm in my classroom, I think about how much I want the war to end." Oleksandr said.

Mykola Kravchenko, 12, looks at his computer class destroyed at Mykhailo-Kotsyubynske's lyceum, which was bombed by Russian forces on March 4, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022. "When I'm at school, I think about the person who died in the debris. I feel deeply sorry for her. " Mykola said.

Surrounded by shards of broken glass and rubble 16-year-old Khrystyna Ignatova, sits at her desk in the remains of her classroom in the Chernihiv School #21, which was bombed by Russian forces on March 3, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 30 , 2022. "What happened is a tragedy. I already cried out about everything I lost. I miss my school, friends, and teachers. But there will be a new school, new teachers and friends. The most important is that life goes on" Khrystyna said.

Anastasia Avramenko, 13, stands in the rubble of her former classroom, in the same position where her desk sat before the Chernihiv School #21 was bombed on March 3, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 30 , 2022. "I wanted to graduate here. This school feels native to me" Anastasia said.

Ivan Hubenko, 11, walks on the rubble of his former Chernihiv School #21, which was bombed by Russian forces on March 3, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 30 , 2022. "I feel offended when I'm at my school. A resentment that the Russians destroyed my school" Ivan said.

Oleksii Lytvyn, 13, stands in the rubble of his former classroom, in the same position where his desk sat before the Mykhailo-Kotsyubynske's lyceum was bombed by Russian forces on March 4, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022. "I feel like it happened not with our school like we are dreaming. I have never seen something like this; it can't be a reality" Oleksii said.

Surrounded by shards of broken glass and rubble 10-year-old Karina Muzyka, stands in the remains of her classroom in the Chernihiv School #21, which was bombed by Russian forces on March 3, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Monday, Aug. 29, 2022. "When my school was bombed, I got terrified. We live nearby. Our windows were damaged, and my mother could die because the door almost pressed her to the wall. And the chandelier almost fell on me." Karina said.

Sofia Klyshnia, 12, stands in the rubble of her former classroom, in the same position where her desk sat before the Mykhailo-Kotsyubynske's lyceum was bombed by Russian forces on March 4, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022. "I'm scared to stand in the destroyed part of the class I once studied" Klyshnia said.

Ivan Hubenko, 11, stands in the remains of his classroom in the Chernihiv School #21, which was bombed by Russian forces on March 3, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 30 , 2022. "I feel offended when I'm at my school. A resentment that the Russians destroyed my school" Ivan said.