At 06:00 Moscow time (03:00 GMT) yesterday, Europe entered its darkest hours since WWII. Putin announced a “military operation” in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region. Immediately, unprecedented armed violence on innocent people of Ukraine followed.
In the coming hours, repeated explosions were heard in Mariupol, Kyiv, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Lutsk, Kherson, and Nikolaev, as it became clear the whole country was under attack. Videos of the capital Kyiv blasted by cruise or ballistic missiles emerged, with roads getting completely clogged with cars as residents desperately tried to escape. In a bid to hide from airstrikes, people packed their bags, bundled up against the cold, and took shelter in underground subway stations. As the world closed its eyes for the night’s rest, here in shelters, men and women, elders and children didn’t dare to fall asleep.
Putin’s war already took the lives of 137 innocent civilians and military personnel on the first day of Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Today, Friday the 25th, the fatalities are likely to increase as the country waits for what Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the country’s interior minister, called the war’s ‘hardest day,’ warning of potential tank assault on Kyiv.
Below are the raw and heartbreaking moments of the violent war happening in Ukraine right now. The war that many felt was impossible in the advanced century we live in today. So today the world stands strong with Ukraine.
Follow the live updates of the situation in Ukraine at the official page of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
If you want to help Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, donate to Ukraine’s main charity fund “Save Life.” Scroll down below for the full charity list.
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“The breathtaking bravery of Russian citizens who know they’ll be arrested, and worse, for protesting the war and do it anyway”
Image credits: Ace-Ventura1934
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President Joe Biden yesterday released a statement condemning Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and called the attack “unprovoked and unjustified.” Biden stated that “Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way.” He assured that “the world will hold Russia accountable.”
On Thursday, Biden unveiled a list of sanctions on Russia to punish the country for its full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. The new sanctions include export blocks on technology, a centerpiece of Biden’s approach to limit Russia’s advancement of its military and aerospace sector as much as possible. In addition, sanctions were applied on Russian banks and “corrupt billionaires,” as well as their families who are close to the Kremlin.
However, there was disappointment that the round of sanctions unveiled by the US and Europe did not remove Russia from the SWIFT financial messaging system. Here is the list of global sanctions applied on Russia for the war in Ukraine.
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The Last Samurai In Ukraine Right Now
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As news of the invasion and its consequences for the Ukrainian people is spreading around the world, making people observe the country in a tragedy unprecedented for the advanced century we live in, you may feel the desire to help. Below are some ways you can help.
Charities that help the war effort
Save Life: This NGO crowdfunds non-lethal military equipment, such as thermal vision scopes, & supplies it to the Donbas front lines. It also provides training for Ukrainian soldiers, as well as researching troops’ needs and social reintegration of veterans.
Donbas SOS: This organization helps those who live in the Donbas war zone, those who relocated to other parts of Ukraine, and freed prisoners of war. It offers legal support, accommodation assistance, and psychological aid among other things.
Crimea SOS: This organization has been helping internally displaced people from Crimea since Russia occupied the peninsula in 2014. It documents Russian authorities’ repressions against Crimeans and advocates for the end of the occupation.
Hospitallers : This is a medical battalion that unites volunteer paramedics and doctors to save the lives of soldiers on the frontline. They crowdfund their vehicle repairs, fuel, and medical equipment.
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Image credits: DAMIADENUGA
#8
“Rt, A popular Russian propaganda platform is down #anonymous”
Image credits: Hateshinaku
#9
“An 80-year-old who showed up to join the Ukrainian army, carrying with him a small case with 2 t-shirts, a pair of extra pants, a toothbrush and a few sandwiches for lunch. He said he was doing it for his grandkids”
Image credits: Heathenstothemax
Tabletochki: This foundation has been supporting children with cancer for 10 years. They procure medicines, equipment, and arrange overseas treatment, among other things.
ChildrenWeWillMakeIt: This movement grew out of a campaign that raised $2 million to get the world’s most expensive medicine for a Ukrainian boy with spinal muscular atrophy. It now fundraises for the treatment of other Ukrainian children with SMA.
Ruka ob Ruku: This is a running club for children with disabilities. The initiative gives children an opportunity to train and take part in races together with their parents and volunteers.
Happy Old: This charity provides older people across Ukraine with groceries and medicine, holds educational, entertainment, and sports events, as well as helps with employment. They even created a modeling agency for the elderly.
Let’s Help: This charity cares for older people living alone and helps state retirement homes. They also advocate for better treatment of older people by the state, including providing people aged 60+ with easy access to education.
Starenki: It’s a charitable initiative devoted to issues of old age in Ukraine. They help lonely seniors by providing them with groceries and hygiene products.
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“Red paint thrown at the Russian Embassy in Ireland. We stand with you, Ukraine”
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- Women Perspectives: This organization has been helping women who have faced domestic violence, discrimination in the labor market, and other issues. The NGO works with local and state authorities to promote pro-equality gender policies in Ukraine.
- Marsh Zhinok (Women’s March): Every year, on March 8, this initiative holds a rally promoting gender equality and the protection of women from gender-based violence. Currently, the organization is petitioning for Ukraine to adopt the Istanbul Convention.
- Blood Agents: It is an NGO that promotes regular, conscious and gratuitous blood donations. They have encouraged people to donate blood over 5,000 times over the past six years.
- Donor UA: It is an automated system for recruiting and managing blood donors, designed to promote the donor movement in Ukraine. You can help by signing up and donating blood or by supporting the project with money donation.
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More then 10 thousand people in Vilnius, Lithuania, walked up to the Russian embassy to demand peace
Image credits: remigijussimasius
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“Wow, this one got me, Ukrainian’s taking shelter in a Metro station, and a man protecting his cat :(“
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#15
“A Ukrainian father says goodbye to his family, while he stays behind to fight the Russians”
Image credits: idk_what_a_name_is
Sirius: The largest shelter for stray animals in Ukraine established in 2000. Its capacity is over 3,000 animals. The institution crowdfunds for animal feed, veterinary drugs, construction and repair of enclosures, and other needs.
Happy Paw: A charity dedicated to solving the problems of homeless animals in Ukraine. The charity helps owners find lost animals, sterilizes domestic animals of people in need & holds lectures on humane treatment of homeless animals for schoolchildren.
UAnimals: A movement for protecting animals from exploitation & abuse. The organization managed to achieve a ban on animal circuses & persuaded many designers participating in Ukrainian Fashion Week to abandon natural fur.
Ukraine Without Waste: It is a Ukrainian non-profit promoting the practice of sorting household waste. They educate companies on how to go green at their offices, and hold lectures for the wider public.
Laska: It’s a chain of two charity stores in Kyiv that promote conscious shopping. They accept donated clothes, resell 15% of them, and send the rest to orphanages, homes for the elderly and centers for people with disabilities.
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Brandenburg Gate In Berlin, Germany
Image credits: Nearsighted-Joker
Help the homeless: This initiative supports homeless people & the elderly in need, by providing them with free meals, medicine, hygiene products, clothes & shoes. Launched by a group of volunteers in 2016, the organization has been relying on crowdfunding.
Suka Zhizn: This organization grew big from a 2017 Instagram account launched to tell stories of homeless people. Now volunteers provide various support to the homeless: employment, sorting out documents, searching for relatives & legal counseling.
Charities for investigative journalism
Slidstvo: An independent agency launched in 2012 that produces award-winning documentaries exposing corruption. They have investigated mismanagement of prisons, fraud, money laundering at PrivatBank & the assassination of journalist Sheremet.
UKRPravda News: Founded in 2000 by Gongadze, a prominent journalist who was killed the same year, this publication is among the most influential in Ukraine. The reporters break political scoops and unmask officials who abuse their power.
Zaborona Media: This is an independent media outlet founded by journalists. They investigate topics such as violations of Ukrainian workers’ rights in the Middle East, arms trafficking, and corruption in the construction sector.
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“Ukrainian soldiers after retaking Hostomel Airport near Kyiv today”
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Charities that preserve Ukrainian cultural heritage
Parkhomivka Museum: The museum, located in a small village in eastern Kharkiv Oblast, is an 18th-century villa that offers a permanent collection of exhibits by artists as iconic as Picasso, Malevich & Manet. You can support it by coming & buying a ticket.
Save Kyiv Modernism: A movement that unites architects, designers and activists who advocate for the protection of the remarkable Soviet modernist structures across Ukraine.
FrankivskToCareAbout: A movement for the preservation of architectural heritage in the western city of Ivano-Frankivsk. Founded in 2016, the initiative renovates old wooden doors of the city’s ancient buildings.
Svoyi: Svoyi gives free oxygen concentrators to people who contracted COVID & can’t be hospitalized due to personal circumstances or when hospitals are overflowing. It also helps those discharged too early in favour of patients in more serious conditions.
Monsters, Inc.: This organization is based in Odesa and provides emergency medical aid to people living in the region. They also help COVID hospitals, procuring medicines and equipment.
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“Such a powerful image. Russian woman protesting Russian invasion of Ukraine. F*ck you Putin rot in hell”
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“Ukrainian army official Facebook account shares how this soldier sacrificed his life to stop the russians from entering the capital by blowing up a bridge:
THE HEROES OF THE MOMENTUM. Pidled the city together with myself #stoprussia On this difficult day for our country, when the Ukrainian people give away to the Russian occupiers in all directions, one of the hardest places on the map of Ukraine was the Crimean intersection, where one of the first enemies met a separate marine battalion. In order to stop the promotion of the tank column, a decision was made to overthrow the Geniche Car Bridge. The engineer of a separate battalion sailor Skakun Vitaliy Volodymyrovich was called to perform this task. The bridge was replaced, but he didn’t have time to get out of there. According to the words of the brothers, Vitaliy came out of contact, and informed about what pídrivâ the bridge. There was an explosion right away. Our brother was killed. His heroic act significantly slowed down the push of the enemy, allowing the unit to relocate and organize defense. The Marine Corps Command will be concerned before the higher command about the awarding of the Skakun sailor Vitaliy Volodymyrovich state award. Russian invaders, know, under your feet the earth will burn! We will fight as long as we live! And as long as we are alive we will fight!”
Image credits: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
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“Dallas, TX. USA lighting up the Downtown skyline with the colors of the Ukrainian flag in a show of solidarity”
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“Prayers in central Kiev – war is hell. Manmade hell”
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“Protester burns his russian passport in front of Russian embassy in tel aviv, israel”
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#34
Georgians ?? Supporting Ukraine ??
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A woman cries while trying to flee Kyiv with her cat
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Fans Of “Liverpool” Hung Out The Flag Of Ukraine During The Match With “Norwich”. Thanks For The Support!
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Russians have turned out by the thousands to decry their country’s invasion of Ukraine as emotional calls for protests grew on social media.
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Some 1,745 people in 54 Russian cities were arrested on Thursday, at least 957 of them in Moscow.
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As sirens blasted in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, and large explosions were heard there and in other cities, Russians were signing open letters and online petitions demanding the Kremlin halt the assault, which the Ukrainian president said had killed at least 137 Ukrainians and wounded dozens more.
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One petition, started by a prominent human rights advocate, Lev Ponomavyov, garnered more than 330,000 signatures by the end of the day.
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More than 250 journalists put their names on an open letter decrying the aggression. Another one was signed by some 250 scientists, while 194 municipal council members in Moscow and other cities signed a third one.
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Several Russian celebrities and public figures, including some working for state TV, spoke out against the attack. Yelena Kovalskaya, director of a state-funded Moscow theatre, announced on Facebook she was quitting her job, saying “it’s impossible to work for a killer and get paid by him”.
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Russia’s Investigative Committee issued a warning on Thursday afternoon reminding Russians that unauthorised protests are against the law.
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Despite the pressure from the authorities, more than 1,000 people gathered in the centre of Moscow on Thursday evening, chanting “No to war!” as passing cars honked their horns.
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More from Moscow, chanting “no war.” Unbelievably brave. @OvdInfo, which monitors crackdowns on Russian protests, says it’s counted at least 900 arrests at demonstrations in 44 cities and towns across the country. pic.twitter.com/9Yn9mxukDr
— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) February 24, 2022
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“Russian celebrities and influencers condemn war by posting these black squares on their instagram”
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#48
A lit up Ukrainian flag hangs in Lithuania as a symbol of hope
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Protests are erupting in several Russian cities tonight against Putin’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, along with attempts from police to forcibly suppress them. Here’s his hometown of St. Petersburg. I’ll be threading videos below as I find them. pic.twitter.com/B5MyG5E4ou
— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) February 24, 2022
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Author: Ilona Baliūnaitė
