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'Hiding in bomb shelter', children sing national anthem in video from Ukraine
Russia-Ukraine war: So far, 14 children have been killed in Russian invasion, the Ukrainian President said on Monday.
As Russia continues its aggression despite harsh sanctions and a global backlash, Ukraine's foreign ministry has tweeted a video of children hiding in a bomb shelter and singing their national anthem. In the 23-second video, six kids are sitting in a circle, playing a game of cards and singing the anthem. The Ukrainian anthem, adopted after the fall of the Soviet Union, has become a way to express solidarity and inspire courage amid Russia’s invasion.
Several videos of Ukrainian citizens doing their part to resist the Russian invasion and finding strength in their national anthem are being widely shared on social media. The Kyiv anthem originates from a 19th century Ukrainian poem titled ‘Ukraine Is Not Dead Yet,’ according to an official website. Singing the Kyiv anthem was banned when Ukraine became part of the Soviet Union.
After the breakup of the USSR, the song regained its anthemic status. In 2003, the country's parliamentary body changed the song’s first line from ‘Ukraine is not dead yet’, to ‘Ukraine's freedom has not yet perished, nor has her glory’.
READ: Video from Ukraine on 'how people greet Russian soldiers' amid war
352 civilians have been killed in Ukraine so far, including at least 14 children, and 1,684 people, including 116 kids, have been wounded, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday.
Meanwhile, Oleg Synegubov, head of the embattled country's Kharkiv region, said on Tuesday Russian missile attacks hit the centre of Ukraine's second-largest city, including residential areas and the city administration building, as Moscow started day six of its invasion.
Ceasefire talks held Monday failed to reach a breakthrough and negotiators have not said when a new round would take place.
More than 500,000 people have fled Ukraine, according to the United Nations refugee agency, setting off a refugee crisis as thousands await passage at European border crossings.
