Some of the most graphic, moving and alarming images Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are on social media. Here’s a roundup of images and videos:
I want her and the sunflower babushka to have a babushka summit after the war. https://t.co/NQ4z4F9erW
— Markos Moulitsas (@markos) March 2, 2022
Badass Ukrainians keep carjacking tanks of the “most formidable army of Europe”. Or should I say – tankjacking? #???????????? #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/6ngO6MTjlG
— olexander scherba?? (@olex_scherba) March 2, 2022
Footage taken by Ukrainian soldiers showing expired military rations that were given to Russian soldiers by the Russian Armed Forces. Expiry date from 2015. pic.twitter.com/E9UT0NdjHu
— CaucasusWarReport (@Caucasuswar) February 28, 2022
Video shared on Ukrainian channels of a captured Russian soldier apparently being fed by locals. The post says he burst into tears when he was allowed to video-call his mother. So many of these troops are just teenagers, with absolutely no clue what this war is really for. pic.twitter.com/oCPUC8cKcO
— Matthew Luxmoore (@mjluxmoore) March 2, 2022
PUTIN IS A WAR CRIMINAL. General Shoigu @MOD_Russia! When will you act? DEPOSE PUTIN! #??????????????? ????? ?????? #???????? #????????????????? https://t.co/wDfkC0eToO
— Louise Mensch ???? (@LouiseMensch) March 1, 2022
Civilians waving Ukraine flags, block the advance of the Russian army. The Russians fire warning shots, but the people stand there ground. #indomitable pic.twitter.com/qVzSXJEbdB
— Alexander S. Vindman (@AVindman) March 2, 2022
Disabled people make Molotov cocktail in Chenivtsi, Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/vIiLswP1BA
— Denis Kazakiewicz (@Den_2042) March 2, 2022
Russian soldiers continue to get a warm welcome in Ukraine: “Do you know where you are?! It’s Konotop. Here every second woman is a witch. Tomorrow you’ll no longer be able to get your d*ck to stand” pic.twitter.com/N8UcJUgsaD
— Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) March 2, 2022
So tell me again about this denazification… https://t.co/OPtsgOHRKJ
— Corporal Frisk (@CorporalFrisk) March 2, 2022
His name was Vitaly Skakun. He was 25. To stop RU fascists, he blew up a bridge at the cost of his life. Today he was carried to grave in his hometown – and people stood on their knees. #StandWithUkraine #UkraineRussiaWar #RussianUkrainianWar pic.twitter.com/sT9fn3qOAG
— olexander scherba?? (@olex_scherba) March 2, 2022
I am now finally a part of the Ukrainian foreign legion. From Finnish reservist Lt. to UA recruit. People from all over the world have come here to help to defend Ukraine. My bunkmates are Norwegian and American. There is still plenty of room for more!#Ukraine #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/kYh46gH4Mv
— rsiren (@rsiren2) March 1, 2022
Borodyanka near Kyiv is basically erased. Reports of around 2000 civilians killed by #PutinsWar. #PutinWarCriminal #PutinHitler #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/rY2sfB24jd
— olexander scherba?? (@olex_scherba) March 2, 2022
Putin is at war with children. In Ukraine, where his missiles hit kindergartens and orphanages, and also in Russia. 7 y.o. David and Sofia, 9 y.o. Matvey, 11 y.o. Gosha and Liza spent this night behind bars in Moscow for their ‘NO TO WAR’ posters. This is how scared the man is. pic.twitter.com/eSenU1D5Ut
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 2, 2022
Terrible day for Kharkiv. Russian planes dropped bombs all night and all morning on the historical center of Kharkiv and residential areas in the downtown. This is a war crime. pic.twitter.com/VNbs8EtYBZ
— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) March 2, 2022
This is the other heartbreaking part of this war. Russian teenagers, are being sent in as canon fodder by Putin to be killed. They don’t want to kill innocent civilians and they don’t want to die. It’s all so awful. https://t.co/WWyfksOQXy
— Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) March 2, 2022
Anyone else admire the Georgian tanker operator who literally told a Russian ship “go f*ck yourself,” when they begged for fuel? pic.twitter.com/7PGZLLdhqA
— John Aravosis ???????? (@aravosis) February 28, 2022
Ukraine’s most popular rockstar, parliamentarian, and briefly a contender for President, stands on Europe’s largest square, after punishing Russian strikes, and says Ukraine will not be defeated. https://t.co/cB3QL2COBI
— Alexander S. Vindman (@AVindman) March 2, 2022
They’re just indiscriminately bombing Kharkiv at this point. ?? https://t.co/NO6N0OdNaD
— Angry Staffer (@Angry_Staffer) March 2, 2022
These people are so brave. It is heart-rending. https://t.co/N97HTvs7X4
— Gerald Weaver knows #PrisonTrumpWillBeWayFunnier (@Gerald_Weaver_) March 1, 2022
Sasha chose to stay in Ukraine to take care of her animal rescues. Last night, a Russian rocket hit her home. Her son found her body this morning. Another innocent life ended by war. RIP Sasha of Ukraine. Fkn heartbreaking pic.twitter.com/35sdIMDK9b
— Holy Crap,DaisyJane! (@CrapballsMcGee) March 1, 2022
Pictures of one of the terrifying TOS-1 theromobartic (flamethrowers) rocket systems, captured. pic.twitter.com/bHxhHre0Ks
— Alexander S. Vindman (@AVindman) March 1, 2022
Amazing footage from Melitopol of Ukrainians stopping the onward advance of a Russian convoy and chanting “Occupants!” and “Murderers!” The jittery Russians are firing into the air pic.twitter.com/j3jypGJdgz
— Matthew Luxmoore (@mjluxmoore) March 1, 2022
Today in Kharkiv. Russian forces are razing it to the ground with devastating barrages of cruise and MLRS missiles – it is a Kremlin warning that this is what will happen to Kyiv if Ukraine don't surrender. Standard barbaric Putin playbook pic.twitter.com/q6Wk69W3jO
— KT CounterIntelligence (@KremlinTrolls) March 1, 2022
Not exactly protesting mask mandates, are they…https://t.co/jQ1VFHWFpk
— Dan Wiener (@Tearupmytickets) March 1, 2022
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Kharkiv downtown today…#PutinHitler pic.twitter.com/cX3t7lwHiV
— olexander scherba?? (@olex_scherba) March 1, 2022
Terrible footage from Kharkiv of what appears to be an MLRS rocket strike in the center of the city. https://t.co/y0LO7K5vtd pic.twitter.com/i1W97WDsNi
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) March 1, 2022
Those guys are going HOME. They’ve got their weapons, packs, bedroll, all of it. #StandWithUkraine https://t.co/9JzsU3XpYS
— Reed Galen (@reedgalen) February 28, 2022
Ukrainians are now just throwing Molotov cocktails out their car windows at Russian tanks. https://t.co/1PMuh09MFL
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 28, 2022
Russians could not take Kharkiv, they are leveling it now https://t.co/XocHfTmHex
— Sergej Sumlenny (@sumlenny) February 28, 2022
Oleksandr Usyk, Ukraine’s boxing champion from Crimea enlisted with territorial defense. If we run out of ammo, we’ll punch them in the face. #StandWithUkraine #VisaMastercardleaveRussia pic.twitter.com/riRXKrNVAi
— olexander scherba?? (@olex_scherba) February 28, 2022
Zelenskyy, a true leader, sitting down for a meal with his troops! #Zelensky #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/w6LLqDDmnx
— Reza Rahimi (@rezarvhimi) February 27, 2022
Another war crime to add to the already long list for Putin. This gruesome attack was purposeful—he’s targeting civilians while claiming to be in negotiations. It’s barbaric and further reminder of his evil. He must be stopped. https://t.co/g2rzxKfN1R
— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) February 28, 2022
This dude is Ukraine’s most popular hip hop singer. Also immensely popular in Russia.
This is how he spends his days now: https://t.co/StAMgpro5Q— Illia Ponomarenko (@IAPonomarenko) February 28, 2022
Over a hundred thousand in Berlin protest Russian attack against Ukraine: pic.twitter.com/TC6XqEZAyL
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) February 27, 2022
Maps: Tracking the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.