At 9am on Saturday, a group of women spread across the busiest street in central Kyiv and stopped traffic to observe a minute of silence. A loudspeaker counted 60 ticks before blaring the opening lines of the national anthem – “Ukraine’s glory and freedom have not yet perished”.
Drivers and passengers stepped out of their cars, standing in quiet tribute as the music echoed through the street. It was a striking display of respect, resilience and defiance – hallmarks of Ukraine’s response in the three years since Russia’s full-blown invasion triggered the worst conflict in Europe since World War II.
