In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a Soviet-era monument symbolizing the friendship between Russia and Ukraine was demolished in Kyiv on Tuesday, according to the city’s mayor. The statue depicts a Ukrainian and Russian worker standing on a pedestal holding the Soviet Order of Friendship. The statue is located below the ‘People’s Friendship Arch’, erected in 1982 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Soviet Union.

“This monument symbolizes the friendship between the Ukrainian and Russian states. We now see what this ‘friendship’ is – the destruction of Ukrainian cities, the lives of Ukrainians, and the loss of thousands of peaceful people. It is believed that such a monument now has a completely different meaning,” said Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

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Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, killing thousands, razing urban areas, and forcing more than 5 million people to flee abroad. Moscow called it a ‘special operation’ to disarm Ukraine and protect it from fascists.
Ukraine and the West have called it a false pretext for an unprovoked war for territory, a move that has raised concerns about a wider conflict in Europe since World War II. As the monument began to fall, the crowd applauded and chanted, “Glory to Ukraine, glory to the heroes, glory to Ukraine”.