Basement Bickering: Marriages Under Strain In War-Hit Ukraine

The combination of fighting and freezing winter temperatures in Ukraine is forcing couples to spend long periods in close quarters, straining some relationships and strengthening others.

Huddled in an underground shelter in war-battered east Ukraine, Oleksander and Lyudmila Murenets spend more time together these days than at any other point in their four decades of marriage.

The tension is starting to show.

"You talk a lot," Oleksander, 68, sneered at Lyudmila, 66, on a recent morning as she tried to explain how much water is required to make homemade vodka.

Later, when Lyudmila corrected his attempt to say "thank you" to a foreign visitor, Oleksander cut her off completely. "Who is the boss of this house?" he said.