Overpowered by invading Russian troops, Ukrainians have nonetheless mounted a fierce defense of their country, and several of their acts of bravery have been caught on video.
SO WHAT
This is what patriotism looks like.
WHAT HAPPENED
Amid the fog of war, reports on the ground Friday indicated that the underdogs have put up a much tougher fight than many expected, from Kyiv to Crimea.
1. Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko: The oligarch brandished an AK-47 on CNN, saying he and other underarmed volunteers would defend the capital from the advancing Russians “forever.”
2. “Ukrainian tank man”: Footage apparently showing an unknown Ukrainian man trying to use his body to stop a a column of Russian “Z” armored cars circulated widely on social media, earning comparisons to Tiananmen Square’s iconic “tank man.”
3. The border guards of Snake Island: All the guards stationed on Snake Island in the Black Sea died Thursday after refusing to surrender to a Russian warship, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed in an address to the nation.
4. Vitaly Skakun: The Ukrainian marine blew himself up to stop Russian tanks from advancing over a bridge out of Crimea, Ukraine’s Armed Forces said.
5. Leonid Ostaltsev: The owner of a Kyiv pizzeria that hires only war veterans has offered free pizza to anyone who buys a gun to defend Ukraine.
6. Ukrainian soldiers at the Hostomel airfield: The army repelled a Russian attack on the strategic hub near Kyiv after an hours-long firefight, Ukraine’s leaders claimed.
7. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Kliltschko: The former heavyweight boxing champion said he was taking up arms alongside his brother and fellow Hall of Famer Wladimir Klitschko to fight the “bloody war” against Russia.
8. “Sunflower seed lady”: An unidentified woman, apparently in southern Ukraine, filmed herself walking up to a Russian soldier, asking him “what the f*ck” he’s doing in her city, placing a “curse” on him and demanding he put sunflower seeds in his pockets so “at least” flowers will grow when he’s killed.
HOW IT’S GOING
After Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine Thursday, Zelenskyy ordered a general mobilization preventing men ages of 18 to 60 from leaving the country, and the military said it had received “many inquiries” from citizens about how to enlist.
- Zelenskyy said Friday morning at least 137 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians were killed in the first day of fighting, and another 316 were wounded.
- He said he believes Russian forces view him as “the number one target,” but promised the country he will remain in Kyiv.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry announced Friday morning that Russians had reached Kyiv and called on citizens to prepare their own Molotov cocktails.
- The ministry said Russia had lost about 30 tanks, 130 armored vehicles, seven aircraft, six helicopters and 800 soldiers in the fighting. (The U.K. put Russia’s losses at 450 men.)
- A few hours later, Russia’s Defense Ministry responded that it had disabled 118 Ukrainian military facilities, shot down five jets and one helicopter, destroyed 18 tanks and seized control of the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant.
- The U.S. has said Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to “decapitate” Ukraine’s Western-aligned democratic government and install a new leadership.