‘Children thrive down here’: the secret play centre hidden under Ukraine’s most dangerous city

The basement play centre in Kherson hosts 30–35 children a day, offering companionship and games in safety. Some children barely speak when they first go. Photograph: Emre Çaylak/Guardian

In an underground shelter in Kherson, probably the most dangerous city in Ukraine, children are chasing each other between plastic chairs. Outside,mortars, artillery and drones fly their deadly paths back and forth across the Dnipro River that separates the city from Russian forces.

This makeshift underground play centre is one of the few places where children can socialise with each other in safety. For a few hours, it can be as though the war is not happening. When the explosions get too close, teachers working at the centre clap louder or turn up the music to drown out the noise.