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25th Feb 2022

Heartbreaking pictures expose tragedy of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Kieran Galpin

Many have compared the images to World War II.

Amid Russia’s continued assault on Ukraine, heartbreaking pictures are circulating online that really put everything in perspective.

Following Vladimir Putin’s TV address on Thursday, Russian forces entered Ukraine by way of neighbouring countries like Belarus.

While world leaders fumbled over another packet of sanctions, Ukrainian people became more displaced, injured – and in some instances, unfortunately died.

Scenes on the ground paint a troubling picture.

One woman, seen with blonde hair and a face covered in blood, has been shared widely across the Internet.

In a tweet posted by @RauliKarkulahti, the woman can be seen dabbing the blood away from her face.

https://twitter.com/RauliKarkulahti/status/1496993933263400961

The same woman, whose name is currently unknown, is also on the front page of Friday morning’s Daily Mirror with Putin, alongside the headline “Her Blood, His Hands.”

Overnight, news broke that Kyiv was now under attack.

A Pentagon official said Russia is looking to “decimate” the Ukranian government and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Russian special forces are hunting for him and his family.

Images of displaced Ukrainians have circulated on social media, and many are comparing the scenes to World War II.

Hordes of people lie on the ground, covered in blankets and coats as they try to keep warm.

Above them, the Russian military continues its assault, raining missiles down on the country’s biggest cities.

https://twitter.com/ChronicDayDrmr/status/1497026114140704775

Others show images of loved ones leaving to fight, as seen below.

While some are saying goodbye to husbands, boyfriends, and brothers, a video showing a little girl hugging her father has been seen across the Internet.

She is visibly sobbing as her father puts on her woolly hat.

Anti-war protests in Moscow, Russia, paint a similar picture.

Police drag huge crowds of people as chanting can be heard and screams bellow from the mouths of the captured. In one video attached below, it’s clear protests continued into the night.

Russian police are said to have arrested 1,400 protesters, reports AlJazeera.

Another heartbreaking moment shows a father bidding farewell to his daughter on the bus.

The two draw a heart together before placing their hands together with only the glass between them.

Young Ukrainians, who look to be in some kind of bunker, are heard singing songs of hope as they use their phone torches as if at a concert.

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