New normal Life under constant attack threat in Kharkiv

Under the late spring sun on a recent Saturday afternoon, these were some of the sounds to be heard in Kharkiv's Shevchenko Park: birds chirruping; young couples laughing over iced coffees; tinny pop music playing from speakers mounted on lampposts; pensioners gossiping on the benches; and, at 11 minutes to three, a prolonged explosion that reverberated in the chest like a rumble of thunder.

- Shaun Walker

A few kilometres away, in a quiet residential suburb, a glide bomb launched from a Russian fighter jet had smashed into a courtyard. As the resulting boom reached the park, people stopped in their tracks for a split second, then continued on, as if nothing had happened. The explosion destroyed several houses and wounded six people.

The following day, hits on a park anda recreation complex killed 11. Then, last weekend, an attack on a DIY hypermarket killed at least 16 people and injured dozens more, prompting outrage.

North of the city, a new Russian offensive had reached the town of Vovchansk, forcing thousands of people to flee, with many arriving at a humanitarian hub on the outskirts of Kharkiv.