The eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, some 30km from the Russian border, has suffered in the past year. Cruise missiles and shells rained down on it last spring, killing hundreds of civilians, blasting the regional government building and the opera house, cratering apartment blocks, shops, schools, churches and university buildings.
Having withstood the Russian assault, the city is now in a state of tentative recovery, despite the occasional artillery hit. Though many buildings are boarded up or ruined, shops and cafes are opening up in pockets. On a recent spring day, teams