Balloons floated above a schoolyard in Kyiv’s Obolon district on Tuesday as children arrived to mark the traditional start of the new school year.

The celebration came hours after Russian ballistic missiles struck the Ukrainian capital overnight, leaving parents and pupils tired but determined to continue with the ceremony.

Their morning was soon interrupted when an air raid alert sounded. Families dispersed as distant explosions replaced music and children’s laughter.

At Lyceum Obolon, principal Yevhen Poliakov had considered cancelling the event, knowing that repeated alerts could disrupt it.

The school has a shelter, however, allowing pupils to reach safety quickly.

Ukraine is now entering its fifth school year since Russia’s full-scale invasion.