Russia-Ukraine war: Young Ukrainians in Greece confront the trauma they've suffered

Since the invasion started among millions of refugees, approximately 1.5 million were children.

Greece has welcomed about 16,000 refugees, a third of which are children.

In a small apartment that now functions as a school and haven for dozens of young Ukrainians and their mothers who fled the invasion, psychologist and teacher Regina Nasretdinova tries to heal their wounds through art therapy.

Many children come thrice a week with their mothers. Drawings such as the bombing of helicopters, burning buildings, tanks, and dead bodies on the ground are hung next to peace doves carrying olive branches. 

In another room, teenagers put their thoughts on paper.
 

A psychologist from Crimea, Nasretdinova said that she makes these kids draw as a therapy and these kids do not need to talk but just show or rather pen down what they want to convey.

Amongst the teachers at this facility, three are refugees who are trying to have a normal life.

The school is now struggling to cope with more than 40 refugee students, run by volunteers and their own funds several days a week, and the phones keep ringing.

The drawing which shocked her most, says Nasretdinova, was by a seven-year-old boy, depicting Ukrainian soldiers killing Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I ask why draw Putin? Why you don't draw something else?" Nasretdinova said. "Because - he told me - he stole my childhood, he stole my normal life."

“They want to hide emotion, they want to forget about it…they want to hide this because it's so traumatic period in their life…it’s like abuse,” she adds.

Sometimes even she gets overwhelmed by what she hears, says Nasretdinova.

The tragedy of war are the innocents that suffer.