Ukrainians celebrated 31 years of independence from the Soviet Union on Wednesday.
Nonetheless, the day additionally coincided with a extra grim milestone in Ukraine’s historical past: The six-month anniversary of the beginning of the Russian invasion.
In a fiery video deal with, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed that Ukraine would resist Russia’s troops “till the tip” with out “any concession or compromise”.
Whereas celebrations have been extra muted in Kyiv, amid fears of attainable Russian assaults, folks throughout Europe gathered in a present of solidarity with Ukraine.
They waved the nation’s nationwide flag and lots of pledged their unwavering assist for the nation.
These are among the finest pictures captured on the day by photographers across the continent.
