Russia continued its military assault in eastern Ukraine while a counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region resulted in several towns being liberated. As many as 60 people may have been killed in a Russian air strike on a school in the eastern Luhansk region. U.S. first lady Jill Biden met her Ukrainian counterpart, Olena Zelenska, during a surprise Mother's Day visit in Uzhhorod. Irish rock star Bono gave a "freedom" concert in a Kyiv subway station to a small crowd of onlookers. Dozens of civilians were evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant as the last Ukrainian defenders inside Mariupol vowed to fight to the end. Here are some of the images captured on May 6-9.
From Rock Stars To The U.S. First Lady, Ukraine's War Effort Gets A Boost Amid Counteroffensive
- By RFE/RL
1
A Ukrainian howitzer unit takes part in a counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region on May 7. The Ukrainian military claimed it successfully liberated several settlements during weekend operations.
2
World War II veteran Ivan Lisun, 97, wears a jacket with his medals near his house in Zolochiv, near Kharkiv, which was damaged after a Russian strike on May 6.
3
Smoke rises after what was believed to be a Ukrainian strike on Russian positions on Snake Island in the Black Sea on May 6. The Ukrainian military says it sank another Russian warship near the island. Snake Island became infamous after Ukrainian forces rejected Russian demands to surrender -- a radio encounter recorded on audio. The Ukrainian troops there were later captured.
4
The damaged statue of 18th-century Ukrainian philosopher Hryhoriy Skovoroda is removed from the remains of the Hryhoriy Skovoroda Literary Memorial Museum in Skovorodynivka on May 7 after Russian shelling. Regarded as the Ukrainian Socrates, Skovoroda was a major contributor to the cultural heritage of both modern-day Ukraine and Russia.
5
The aftermath of Russian shelling in a residential area in Irpin is seen from above on May 7 as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an unannounced visit to the Kyiv suburb to see the devastation caused by the Russian invasion. Trudeau announced that Canada was sending additional weapons and assistance.
6
A child and her family arrive at a registration and processing facility for internally displaced people in Zaporizhzhya on May 8. According to an International Organization for Migration report published on April 21, one in six Ukrainians or 17 percent of the population is internally displaced.
7
U.S. first lady Jill Biden receives a hug from her Ukrainian counterpart, Olena Zelenska, (right) during a surprise visit to a school in Uzhgorod on May 8. The school is currently being used as a temporary shelter for displaced people. "I wanted to come on Mother's Day," Biden told Zelenska. "I thought it was important to show the Ukrainian people that this war has to stop and this war has been brutal and that the people of the United States stand with the people of Ukraine." Zelenska called the first lady's visit an "act of courage."
8
Ukraine said 60 civilians were killed on May 7 after a school in Bilohorivka where they were sheltering was hit by Russian missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy denounced Russia's heavy shelling in the east of the country, saying Russia had "forgotten everything that was important to the victors of World War II" a day before Moscow commemorated the Soviet Union's role in the defeat of Nazi Germany.
9
U2 singer Bono (left) and guitarist The Edge (right) perform in a Kyiv subway station with Ukrainian singer Taras Topolia (center), who is now serving in the Ukrainian military. Bono referenced the band's hit song Pride (In The Name of Love) when he said: "This evening, 8th of May, shots will ring out in the Ukraine sky, but you'll be free at last. They can take your lives, but they can never take your pride."
10
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (right) and Ukraine's Zelenskiy (center) meet the military service dog Patron and his handler on May 8 in Kyiv. The Jack Russell terrier, whose name means bullet in Ukrainian, was awarded a state honor for his service in finding land mines. Patron has become a symbol of Ukraine's resistance, featuring in videos, social media, and memorabilia.
11
The colors of the Ukrainian flag are projected onto the Motherland Monument in Kyiv on May 8 on the occasion of the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation. The holiday, which began in 2015 to honor those who lost their lives in conflicts, took on an especially poignant meaning this year as Ukraine resists Russia's invasion.
