Photographs from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as civilians flee and the fighting grows more intense
On the fourth day of fighting in Ukraine, refugees are still pouring out of the country — more than 368,000 people have already reached Poland, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, and other countries, according to the United Nations. Fierce battles continued on the outskirts of the nation’s capital, Kyiv, and in the streets of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. For the first time, the Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged that its soldiers have been killed and wounded in Ukraine. After several false starts, Kyiv and Moscow, with mediation by Minsk, also agreed tentatively to meet for the first ceasefire negotiations. Meduza presents several photographs from this day in the War for Ukraine.
Caution! Some of the images below depict scenes of violence and death not suitable for minors.
Maksim Levin / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA Ukrainian soldiers take cover in combat positions on the outskirts of Vasylkiv (20 miles southwest of Kyiv).Alisa Yakubovich / EPA / Scanpix / LETA Smoke from an oil storage facility damaged by artillery fire.Ephraim Lukatsky / AP / Scanpix / LETA Ukrainian soldiers escort a possible Russian special forces operative.Aris Messinis / AFP / Scanpix / LETA A military patrol in Kyiv, which is under citywide curfew between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. The authorities say they will consider anyone caught after hours to belong to “enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups.”SWNS / Scanpix / LETA Destroyed heavy equipment outside the city of Sumy (225 miles east of Kyiv). Russia’s Defense Ministry does not publish data about its combat losses in Ukraine. The government in Kyiv claims its military has destroyed 146 Russian tanks. These data cannot be verified.Sergey Bobok / AFP / Scanpix / LETA A soldier in Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Force inspects an armored vehicle damaged inMarienko Andrew / AP / Scanpix / LETA The aftermath of a battle in Kharkiv.Andriy Andriyenko / AP / Scanpix / LETA A couple parts at a rail station in Kramatorsk (400 miles southeast of Kyiv), before the woman boards a train to flee to safety in western Ukraine.Serhii Hudak / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA Civilians in Uzhhorod prepare Molotov cocktails to defend the city.Serhii Hudak / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA Civilians in Uzhhorod create barricades to defend the city.Bernat Armangue / AP / Scanpix / LETA Refugees at a rail station in Lviv (365 miles east of Kyiv), waiting for trains to reach Poland.Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP / Scanpix / LETA The aftermath of Russian shelling in Vasylkiv (outside Kyiv), which witnessed the second day of fighting for control of the nearby military airfield.