Video footage that apparently shows civilians standing up to Russian army invaders are emerging from Ukraine. Radio Free Europe, a United States government-funded organisation, shared some of the footage on Twitter.
In a tweet, Radio Free Europe described the footage as "extraordinary civil resistance by Ukrainians against Russian aggression in their country". One clip shows a huge crowd surrounding what appears to be a Russian troop transport vehicle, chanting: "Berdyansk is Urkaine."
Berdyansk is a port city in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast of south-east Ukraine, on the Sea of Azov, not far from the Donbas region and the so-called Donetsk People's Republic. Along with the neighbouring Luhansk People's Republic, Donetsk's 'breakaway' has only received international recognition from Russian and South Ossetia.
Another clip sees a crowd in the town of Dobryanka blocking what appears at a border crossing with neighbouring Belarus. Ukraine's norther neighbour is closely allied to Putin's Russia and has been used as a staging post for the invasion. Reports from Kyiv have claimed that Belarus will also soon supply troops to support Russia's invasion.
The video shows a crowd and man using a speaker system who is reported to be saying: "Belarusians, can you hear us? Please pass this on: Your are not welcome in Dobryanka! We won't let Belarusian or Russian troops through!" Go Home!
"We don't need a Russian world.... we won't let you through here."
The crowd then plays and sings the national anthem - 'Ukraine is not yet lost'.
A third clip in the compilation shows a woman in car who, according to the translation provided, says she was "stopped by some unknown people with red stripes", who demanded documents. The camera is then turned on a man, with his face covered, wearing military fatigues.
"Show your face," says the woman. "Why should I show my passport to terrorists? I am a citizen of Ukraine. I was born here. Why did you come to kill my parents, my children? Who are you?
"Why are you stopping me with a gun on my land? This my native land."
The videos can be watched in the tweet below.
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