As Russian bombs rained down on their country, a group of Ukrainians knelt and prayed. The small group did this as hundreds of their countrymen fled to a subway station to escape the explosions.
CNN reporter Clarissa Ward caught the moment and gave commentary.
CNN witnesses a small group of Ukrainians in Kharkiv gathering and kneeling in prayer.
"So, to see these people kneeling on the cold stone in prayer is
honestly — it's very moving," Clarissa Ward.#PrayForUkraine pic.twitter.com/47NgqwbXxA— Nicholas Fondacaro ?? (@NickFondacaro) February 24, 2022
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‘I think it speaks to the state of ordinary Ukrainians here who have done absolutely nothing to deserve this’
Ward said during a CNN broadcast, “This really speaks to the desperation of this moment, we just see a small group of people, and I’m hoping you can see them on our shot here… a small group of people have gathered in the main square and they are kneeling and praying. Because right now there is truly a sense of having no idea what is coming down the pipeline, what is in store for the people of Ukraine in the coming hours, coming days.”
Ward then described the weather in Ukraine and the state of mind of the country as it’s under fire.
“It’s freezing cold here,” Ward said. “So to see these people kneeling on the cold stone in prayer is honestly, its very moving.”
“I think it speaks to the state of ordinary Ukrainians here who have done absolutely nothing to deserve this,” Ward said. She added that these people, “Who have no quarrel with Russia, who have no desire for war or conflict, who are not engaged in the geopolitics underpinning this, but who will ultimately be the ones to bear the brunt.”
As one could imagine, this group weren’t the only Ukrainians praying for peace.
Ukrainians pray in the snow for peace.
?
#UkraineRussia pic.twitter.com/588PmeQaHn— Latin Mass Society (@latinmassuk) February 24, 2022
Putin Tells Ukrainian Military ‘lay down arms immediately and go home’
Russia attacked Ukraine on Thursday after Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed they were conducting a “special military operation in Donbas.”
In a speech, Putin told Ukraine military personnel to lay down their weapons and go home.
“We urge you to lay down arms immediately and go home,” the Russian leader said.