Oleksandr, a Ukrainian soldier, dreams of being a father to a girl and a boy.

But, as fighting against Russian invaders rages on, he is putting off having children.

Instead, he said, he will freeze his sperm -- a hedge against the daily risks he confronts on the frontline, where he has been since the start of Russia's full-scale offensive in 2022.

Though his wife Kateryna lives in the Czech Republic as a refugee, Oleksandr was adamant about the family life he envisages: "I also want to raise my child, not just leave them with my partner." The ideal setting would be all of them living together, in the mountains, surrounded by "lots of cats".