After weeks of buildup, Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine earlier this week, invading the country from the north, east and south, launching airstrikes on cities and military bases.
The Ukrainian president said at least 137 of its soldiers were killed Thursday. And as of Friday, at least 74 Ukrainian military facilities had been destroyed.
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Also on Friday, Russia pressed its invasion, with explosions beginning before dawn in Kyiv and multiple other cities, and gunfire being reported in the city center later.
The military reported Friday that Russian spies and saboteurs were seen in a district on the outskirts of Kyiv, and police told people not to exit a subway station in the city center due to gunfire in the area.
Russia’s attack is the largest ground war in Europe since World War II.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Kyiv “could well be under siege” in what U.S. officials believe is a brazen attempt by Russian President Vladimir Putin to install his own regime.
While images can’t do justice to what’s happening in Ukraine and to its people, the photos below are a slight look into the heartbreaking reality the citizens there are facing.
Warning: Some photos below may be graphic in nature.
Dawn Jorgenson, Graham Media Group Branded Content Managing Editor, began working with the group in April 2013. She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in electronic media.