With the progress of the Russian army in Ukraine and its control over sensitive areas and centers, the other side of the war appeared on the human level, as thousands fled outside the country, while thousands of others were displaced to safer areas, and many Ukrainians slept inside the subway stations, amid an international move to expand humanitarian efforts in the region.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced that the international organization has released $20 million in emergency humanitarian aid to Ukraine and neighboring countries, calling again on Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop his military attack on this country.
"The United Nations is stepping up its humanitarian operations in and around Ukraine," Guterres said during a meeting.
He added that this aid will be distributed in a neutral manner.
"We help the people who need it, no matter who they are or where they are," Guterres said.
He stressed that the invasion of Ukraine was "a mistake and contrary to the charter" of the United Nations and "not permissible, but not irreversible," and called on Putin to stop his military operation.
A Ukrainian family fled the grinding war to Slovakia (Reuters)
panic
In Washington, World Bank President David Malpass said he was "horrified by the horrific violence and loss of life in the wake of the events in Ukraine."
"We are a long-term partner of Ukraine, and we stand with its people at this critical time," the World Bank chief added, stressing that the International Financial Authority is coordinating with the International Monetary Fund to "assess the cost" of the social and economic impact of the attack.
"We are ready to provide immediate support to Ukraine, and we are preparing options for such support, including fast-disbursing funding," Malpass said in a statement.
#Breaking: Footage from the #Kharkiv metro RIGHT NOW.
🔺Civilians are hiding from Russian #ARTILLERY attacks on the city.
pic.twitter.com/fQlPKJc5Lk
— Omar Becerril (@obeagis) February 24, 2022
sleeping on the ground
Video footage documented civilians who fled the Russian bombing as they slept on the ground in the "subway" in the city of Kharkiv, which is the second largest Ukrainian city.
In the past hours, Ukrainian communication platforms have circulated a set of videos that show thousands of Kharkiv residents crowding into the city's train station, waiting to leave at any time to escape the Russian bombing.
"I'm Russian... I'm sorry"
And European Parliament member Radek Sikorsky published - through his official account on Twitter - a picture of a Russian man apologizing for what his country had done.
The photo - taken in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia - shows a Russian man holding a sign reading "I'm Russian, sorry about that."
Activists interacted with the photo, commenting that a poor man should not apologize for what others do, even if he is of the same national race.
Dieses Bild berührt mich sehr.
😔
Wir - die gegen einen Krieg sind - sind überall!
Und nur durch unsere internationale #Solidarität sind wir gemeinsam stark.
#StayWithUkraine #NoWar https://t.co/tqABwxgaKB
— 𝗦 (@SibelArslanBS) February 24, 2022
Tweeters also described the picture as "strong, influential, great and a picture of history, and provides an example that peoples are alive, and the simple have nothing to do with what leaders do," as they put it.
And Swiss Member of Parliament Spiel Arslan wrote - via Twitter - "This picture touches me a lot. We are against war everywhere, and only through our international world are we strong together."
As one of the interactors tweeted, "No one should apologize for his origin, but the need for an apology is understandable, peace to all people of good will," while another commented, "It is not the Russian people who did this, it is Putin's war."
Los ciudadanos son los que pagan al final por las idioteces de los gobernantes https://t.co/V14cNH2gFy
— iceman (@dangoldfeder_) February 24, 2022
"Mom and Dad... I'm still alive"
And a Ukrainian soldier sent a video message to his parents after the Russian bombing of the Ukrainian regions to assure them that he was still alive.
Russian platforms circulated on social media a video clip documenting a Ukrainian soldier in military uniform sending a video message to his parents to inform them of his and his companions' situation after the Russian bombing.
«Короче, нас по****ли c «Градов»
В соцсетях разошлось обращение, предположительно, украинского военнослужащего, который расскортовыQ.s.
— NEWS.ru |
Новости (@nws_ru) February 24, 2022
In his video message, the soldier said, "We have been crushed. It is good that everyone is alive. My father, my mother, I love you both."
"Why did you come to our country?"
Activists celebrated on social media platforms a Ukrainian woman who confronted a Russian army soldier in the Geneshesk region in the city of Kherson (southern Ukraine), and said, "Why did you come to our country?"
She also asked him to put sunflower seeds in his pockets so that the flowers would grow when he dies on Ukrainian soil, according to MENASSAT.
Ukrainian woman confronts Russian soldiers in Henychesk, Kherson region.
Asks them why they came to our land and urges to put sunflower seeds in their pockets [so that flowers would grow when they die on the Ukrainian land] pic.twitter.com/ztTx2qK7kB
— UkraineWorld (@ukraine_world) February 24, 2022
"The Occupant One"
The Syrian painter Aziz Asmar translated his rejection of the Russian military operations in Ukraine through a colorful mural in which he showed the support of the residents of northern Syria to Ukraine.
Activists circulated - via digital platforms - a picture of the painter standing next to a mural in which his brush showed the Russian invasion of Ukrainian lands.
The photo was admired by activists who affirmed their solidarity with the Ukrainian people, expressing their rejection of the Russian military operations.
Activist photographer Asaad Al-Asaad attached the photo with a comment that read, "From Idlib to Ukraine, the occupier is one."
international debate
Ukraine called on the UN Human Rights Council to hold an urgent debate on the humanitarian situation in the country after the Russian invasion.
Ukrainian delegate Yevnija Filipenko wrote to council president Federico Villegas that the council needed to deal with the "extremely serious deterioration" of the situation in Ukraine.
For its part, the European Union delegation to the United Nations immediately said - via a tweet on Twitter - that it "fully supports" Ukraine's request.
The 47-nation council is scheduled to meet in Geneva next Monday.