A shocked Ukrainian schoolboy has been left starstruck by a visit from Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The president has spent this week meeting teachers and pupils in underground classrooms in Kharkiv, prompting the blonde youngster to do his best impression of actor Macaulay Culkin in Christmas movie Home Alone.

Lessons take place in a converted metro station in the eastern city, which is often targeted by Russian attacks.

Parts of the Kharkiv region were taken by Moscow early in the war, but were reclaimed by Ukrainian forces in September 2022.

Mr Zelenskyy’s visit comes as he seeks to lift spirits across the country ahead of Christmas, amid a renewed Russian drone campaign similar to that seen last winter.

Cities including the capital Kyiv have been repeatedly attacked in recent weeks, as the Kremlin aims to cripple the country’s energy infrastructure as freezing winter temperatures set in.

But the Ukrainian president told the Kharkiv schoolchildren to “always smile”.

“I wish you all the best, I wish you victory,” he added.

“Good luck.”

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Russia launched another drone attack overnight, according to Ukraine’s air force.

Ten of the 12 were shot down before they reached their targets in the northwest of the country.

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