By Thomas Peter

KHARKIV, Ukraine, (Reuters) – In a Ukrainian town that has been bombed since Russia invaded, Natalia Shaposhnik, her daughter Veronika, and their blue-and-yellow train are parked deep underground.

Shaposhnik has stayed in Kharkiv for the past four weeks with many others like her.

The streets of almost all blocks were littered with heavily damaged or destroyed buildings. On Thursday, they seemed a little quieter above the ground.

Families crowded down at the station from most families who were from the northern outskirts of the city, which has suffered almost daily shelling.

Cold concrete floors were the preferred choice for children and their mothers. Children and parents could also sleep side-by-side in cold train carriages, which are divided into smaller living rooms by curtains.

The only reason they go outside is to exercise their pets or get some fresh air.

Shaposhnik, 36 years old, stated that although it was not as good as home, it could be made to live.

Underground, war can still be felt.

A Russian missile struck a Metro station just two stops from Shaposhnik’s home, wounding many people and killing several others.

A crew was cleaning up shrapnel at the spot, and a vehicle laden with soldiers from Ukraine sped past.

One month after the invasion began, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zeleskiy saw the conflict as an existential struggle for both his country and all of Europe.

Russia calls the invasion a “specially military operation”, and claims that its forces don’t target civilians.

Shaposhnik stated that she knew Russians still who believed civilians had been bombarded despite all the violence of the last four weeks.

They didn’t believe what I wrote, so I told them. She said that they believe it was your fault and you are responsible.