(NewsNation Now) — Video of Ukrainian soldiers guarding Snake Island was among the first stories of resistance to come out of the Russian invasion.
Now, on the fifth day of war, those stories are more common and much of the Ukrainian resistance is being built on the backs of volunteers.
The 13 Ukrainian soldiers who were initially presumed dead have been declared “alive and well” by the Ukrainian Navy after one of the guards cursed at Russian troops in the face of a bomb threat. In another act of defiance, Ukrainian marine engineer Vitaliy Volodymyrovych Skakun, detonated himself on a bridge to stop Russian forces crossing over from Crimea.
Others, including Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and his brother, have chosen to stay in Ukraine and help fight. Both men, celebrity hall-of-fame boxers, have signed up for military reserves.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also has taken to the streets with troops, while former Miss Ukraine Anastasiia Lenna posted a photo of herself in military fatigues using the hashtag #handsoffukraine.
On Monday, Ukraine and Russian officials concluded the first round of talks between delegations from the two countries on the Belarus border.
A top Putin aide and head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said that the talks lasted nearly five hours. The envoys “found certain points on which common positions could be foreseen,” Medinsky said, but the talks didn’t yield any breakthroughs.
Advisers say more talks could happen soon.