Ukraine war photo that will break your heart

A tragic image of Ukrainian children sleeping in a bomb shelter while Russian dictator Vladimir Putin rages bloody war on the country has gone viral.

A heartbreaking image of Ukrainian children sleeping in a bomb shelter while Russian dictator Vladimir Putin rages bloody war on the country has gone viral.

The stirring picture, shared by the Ukrainian government’s official Twitter feed “Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine”, shows innocent babies and children lying arm-to-arm next to each other on makeshift beds, in what is believed to be an underground bunker.

“Good night #Europe. While you sleep, our little Ukrainians stand guard over your dreams, becoming a human shield for the #EU in the face of Russian aggression,” the Ukrainian government tweeted.

Good night #Europe. While you sleep, our little Ukrainians stand guard over your dreams, becoming a human shield for the #EU in the face of russian aggression.#StopPutin#StopRussianAggression#StandWithUkrainepic.twitter.com/uWIRYmrZFH

— Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (@ua_parliament) March 1, 2022

The powerful image was re-shared by other accounts including outspoken British broadcaster and News Corp columnist Piers Morgan, who said: “Ukrainian children sleeping in a bomb shelter, as (Mr) Putin prepares to bombard them”.

Morgan continued: “How can doing nothing to stop him be the correct moral decision?”

Mothers and children have taken refuge in shelters across Ukraine, as Mr Putin enlists bloody violence on the streets above.

It came days after the New York Times shared harrowing footage of newborn infants from a neonatal intensive care unit being moved into a makeshift bomb shelter inside a Dnipro hospital, located in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blasted Mr Putin and his accomplices for targeting innocent victims.

“They say that civilian objects are not a target for them. It is a lie,” Mr Zelenskyy said.

“They do not distinguish in which areas to operate.”

It has been estimated that there are more than 100,000 orphans in Ukraine, with a Polish charity, Caritas Poland, taking in at least 2000 children from the war zone.

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“Our eastern neighbours are talking about a humanitarian catastrophe that is approaching fast,” Caritas Poland director Marcin Izycki said.

“We have decided to respond to the crisis in Ukraine and provide shelter to the most vulnerable in our country.”

The children will come mainly from orphanages in eastern Ukraine, which has been worst affected by Russia’s assault on the country.

More than 660,000 people have fled Ukraine since Russia began its invasion last week, and a million more are estimated to be displaced within the country.

The United Nations said that at least 536 civilians, including 13 children, had been killed since the invasion began.

It has warned of a humanitarian crisis and has called for $1.7 billion in urgent aid, estimating that some 12 million people will need support in Ukraine.

Originally published as Ukraine war photo that will break your heart