‘We are not scared’: the Ukrainians building families in the shadow of war

<p>Birthrates have fallen since Russia’s invasion but some have held on to hope and are bringing up children despite risks</p><p>Four years ago Russian troops were a few kilometres away from Leleka maternity hospital, beyond a pine forest and a lake. Vladimir Putin’s plan to conquer Ukraine – wrapping it into a new Russian empire – began just down the road. They were meant to seize Kyiv and topple Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s pro-western government.</p><p>To the Kremlin’s surprise, Ukraine fought back. A Russian armoured column was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2022/apr/14/inside-ukraines-suburban-horror-i-have-nothing-left-video">destroyed in nearby Bucha</a>. For five weeks a battle raged. Maternity staff treated wounded Ukrainian soldiers. Then, in March 2022, Russian troops pulled out of the Kyiv region. They left behind the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2022/apr/14/inside-ukraines-suburban-horror-i-have-nothing-left-video">bodies of hundreds of civilians</a> they had killed, including fleeing families gunned down in their cars.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/22/ukraine-war-russia-birthrates-families-parents-children">Continue reading...</a>