Russian invasion of Ukraine.Photo: Andrew Marienko/AP/Shutterstock
AmidRussia’s invasion of Ukraine— which has so far led tomore than 1,200 civilian casualties, according to the United Nations — there have also beenpoignant moments of humanity.
One such scene took place in Odessa, Ukraine, this week where,as Reuters reports, the familiar refrain of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” could be heard as the fighting raged on.
According to the outlet, the song could be heard coming from near Odessa’s world-famous Opera and Ballet Theatre on Tuesday, where musicians gathered this week to perform concerts in front of a sandbag barrier meant to ward off tanks.
Those concerts included an impromptu performance of local navy musicians, who performed the 1980s hit, along with the Ukrainian national anthem.
Galyna Zitser, director of the Odessa Philharmonic — members of which have also performed music amid the war — told Reuters of the performances: “We did not surrender Odessa to Hitler, and we will not surrender it to anyone else.”
According to Reuters, Odessa has so far been spared from the heavy fighting and shelling witnessed in other parts of Ukraine after Russia launched its large-scale invasion on Feb. 24 — the first major land conflict in Europe in decades.
Though the city has not seen the fighting of many of its neighbors, many in Odessa, Ukraine’s third-largest city, say they are preparing for what’s to come.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine.ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty
AccordingtoPBS NewsHour, locals in Odessa can often be heard chanting the national anthem as they fill sandbags on the beach, to use as a means of protection.
Odessa’s opera house has come under siege before — during World War II, when German allies occupied the city.
As Odessa resident Valentina Volanskaya toldNewsHour, via a translator: “Our city has been standing, is standing, and will always be standing. You understand? That’s it. Odessa is the center of the world.”
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With NATO forces massing in the region around Ukraine, various countries have also pledged aid or military support to the resistance. Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyycalled for peace talks — so far unsuccessful — while urging his country to fight back.
Putin insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the best security interests of his country. Zelenskyy vowed not to bend.
“Nobody is going to break us, we’re strong, we’re Ukrainians,“he told the European Unionin a speech in the early days of the fighting, adding, “Life will win over death. And light will win over darkness.”
source: people.com
