Banksy in Ukraine: New work by mystery artist appears in destroyed buildings near Kyiv
12 November 2022, 14:52
New work by Banksy has popped up in a destroyed buildings in Ukraine.
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The elusive artist made an image of a figure similar to judo enthusiast Vladimir Putin being thrown to the ground by a small boy.
Another work depicts a gymnast vaulting over rubble in a ruined structure in Borodyanka, a town near Kyiv.
Other Banksys to emerge include one of two children using a tank trap as a seesaw and one of a gymnast waving a ribbon while she wears a neck brace.
Banksy posted the gymnast vaulting mural on his Instagram profile on Friday, simply captioning it "Borodyanka, Ukraine".
It has been liked more than a million times.
Borodyanka bore the brunt of Russia's failed attack on Kyiv in the early part of the invasion.
The town spent weeks under occupation, like other settlements around the capital, before the attack on Kyiv failed and Russia was forced into a humiliating retreat.
Banksy’s art comes at a pivotal time for Ukraine’s fight back against Russia.
It has retaken Kherson, the only provincial capital Moscow managed to capture since the invasion began in February.
But there are fears about damage to a dam up the Dnipro river, with a Kremlin propaganda outlet having previously warned Russia could unleash “grandiose water apocalypse” upon Ukrainian forces in the area.
Social media is full of videos and photos from Kherson showing jubilant residents coming out to welcome liberating soldiers with Ukrainian flags, lining the streets as they enter the city.
