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A café in Kyiv - a pocket of normality in a war zone

±«Óãtv correspondent Jeremy Bowen meets two Ukrainian soldiers in a café in Kyiv - taking a break from fighting on the front line.

Life in Ukraine has changed in an instant. Towns and cities that were thriving, buzzing - now empty and shuttered. Millions of people are fleeing to safety, but some have stayed – trying to keep going. So what’s it like to live here now, not knowing whether an attack is going to reach your town, your street, your doorstep?

Jeremy Bowen's spent many years as a correspondent for the ±«Óãtv in war-torn areas across the world. He's currently in the Podil district of Ukraine – one of the oldest in Kyiv. It was a hip inner-city neighbourhood, famous for its nightlife. It’s largely a ghost town now. But, to his amazement, whilst wandering the streets, Jeremy found a coffee shop open as usual… so for 5 Minutes On, he popped in to have a chat with the locals and just happened to bump into two soldiers who'd been fighting on the front line.

Image Credit: ±«Óãtv News

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5 minutes