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A new Banksy mural adorns a destroyed building in Ukraine

Graffiti of a woman in a leotard doing a handstand is seen on the wall of a destroyed building in Borodyanka on Friday in Kyiv Region, Ukraine. Banksy later confirmed on their Instagram account that this piece was their work.
Ed Ram
/
Getty Images
Graffiti of a woman in a leotard doing a handstand is seen on the wall of a destroyed building in Borodyanka on Friday in Kyiv Region, Ukraine. Banksy later confirmed on their Instagram account that this piece was their work.

Anonymous graffiti artist Banksy, who is known for sending political messages, has revealed a new mural on a building destroyed by shelling in Ukraine.

Banksy's work, which the artist posted on Instagram Friday to 11.2 million followers, features a gymnast balancing on a pile of rubble with her hands. The Instagram post is captioned "Borodyanka, Ukraine."

Russian forces invaded Borodyanka, about 30 miles northwest of Kyiv, earlier this year, and Ukrainian officials said they deliberately bombed civilian areas. Burned cars, collapsed buildings, and power lines splayed on the ground in the area after Russia withdrew, NPR reported from the town in April.

Graffiti of a child throwing a man on the floor in judo clothing is seen on a wall amid damaged buildings in Borodyanka on Friday.
Ed Ram / Getty Images
/
Getty Images
Graffiti of a child throwing a man on the floor in judo clothing is seen on a wall amid damaged buildings in Borodyanka on Friday.

Other new murals with a similar style have been spotted in the area and are suspected to have been created by Banksy, but the British artist has not publicly claimed credit.

One shows two children using a metal tank trap as a seesaw and another features a young boy flipping over a large man in a judo match. Some have speculated the man might represent Russian leader Vladimir Putin, known to be a martial arts fan. Earlier this year, World Taekwondo withdrew Putin's honorary black belt after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Another mural in Irpin, about 15 miles northwest of Kyiv, depicts a young rhythmic gymnast balancing on a hole in the side of a building, waving a ribbon in the air.

Graffiti of a woman in a leotard and a neck brace waving a ribbon is seen on the wall of a destroyed building in Irpin on Friday.
Ed Ram / Getty Images
/
Getty Images
Graffiti of a woman in a leotard and a neck brace waving a ribbon is seen on the wall of a destroyed building in Irpin on Friday.

Ukraine scored a military win on Friday after Russia withdrew all its troops from Kherson, Ukraine. Ukrainian troops have retaken the city, and Ukrainians have reportedly hoisted Ukrainian flags atop buildings and torn down Russian billboard signs.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Ashley Ahn
Ashley Ahn is an intern for the Digital News and Graphics desks. She previously covered the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines for CNN's health and medical unit and the trial of Ahmaud Arbery's killers for CNN's Atlanta News Bureau. She also wrote pieces for USA TODAY and served as the Executive Editor of her college's student newspaper, The Daily Pennsylvanian. Recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, Ahn is pursuing a master's degree in computer science at Columbia University.