In the days since Russia began invading Ukraine, videos of Ukrainians boldly defending their territory against Russian troops have repeatedly gone viral. Most of those videos show an uncommon resilience, especially in the face of a seemingly more powerful opposing force.
As the videos have spread, experts have noted that many Ukrainian citizens – some of whom are physically blocking Russian tanks and confronting soldiers in the streets – are living through uncertainty, violence and trauma. Some of those experts have taken to social media to warn against glorifying mental toughness in lieu of personal safety.
"Highlighting the resilience of Ukrainians is extremely important to boost morale but let's not paint a caricature at the expense of their mental health," NBC medical commentator and physician Aditi Nerurkar wrote on Twitter last week. "They are rightfully, deeply suffering right now. It's the start of a long journey."
Media surrounding the ongoing invasion should be consumed while keeping in mind that many Ukrainian citizens are primarily acting to protect themselves and those around them, says Nerurkar. In that vein, here are four viral moments – some cunningly witty, some uplifting and some grim – that show what it's like to live during an ongoing invasion:
1. A Ukrainian woman gives Russian soldiers sunflower seeds – but not in solidarity
In late February, Russian forces swept into Henychesk, a port city in the south of Ukraine. Residents were told the troops were present for a training exercise, but a Ukrainian woman armed with sunflower seeds – Ukraine's national flower – didn't buy it.
Instead, she confronted a group of Russian soldiers and told them to put the seeds in their pockets. The reason, according to one Ukrainian news outlet on Twitter: "so that flowers would grow when [the Russian soldiers] die on the Ukrainian land."
That particular video, seen as a snapshot of life immediately pre-invasion, has been viewed more than 8.6 million times.
2. A young girl sings 'Let It Go' from a bomb shelter in Kyiv
In a video originally posted on Facebook last week, a young girl sang "Let It Go" from Disney's "Frozen" from a Kyiv bomb shelter during Russia's invasion. According to the Facebook post's author, a woman named Marta Smekhova, the girl — named Amelia — started whispering that she one day dreamed of singing in front of audiences on stage.
With her mother's permission and Smekhova's encouragement, Amelia started to sing. As the video panned around the small bunker, the other sheltering civilians fell silent, and then clapped as she finished the song. "Even men couldn't hold back the tears," Smekhova wrote on Facebook.
Idina Menzel, who sang the original song in "Frozen," is among many of the stars who have since shared the video on social media. The video she retweeted has been shared more than 14.2 million times.
"We see you," Menzel wrote in a tweet on Sunday. "We really, really see you."
3. A group of Ukrainians help a teenage Russian solider call his mother
In a video that surfaced last week, a group of Ukrainians helped a Russian solider, who had likely surrendered, call home. One citizen held the phone and reassured his mother he was safe, while the young soldier drank hot tea and ate a pastry.
"[A Ukrainian social media] post says he burst into tears when he was allowed to video-call his mother," Wall Street Journal reporter Matthew Luxmoore wrote on Twitter, about the video. "So many of these troops are just teenagers, with absolutely no clue what this war is really for."
The video seems to align with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy's assessment of many Russian troops currently in Ukraine.
"Our soldiers, our border guards, our territorial defense, even simple farmers are capturing Russian soldiers every day, and all of them are saying the same thing: They don't know why they are here,'' Zelenskyy said in speech posted on Facebook last week, translated by The New York Times. "These are not warriors of a superpower. These are confused children who have been used."
4. Ukrainian librarians postpone a conference until they have 'finished vanquishing our invaders'
The Ukrainian Library Association was slated to host an international science conference in late February. The event was canceled, but not without feisty commentary.
"The Organizing Committee of the Conference decided to hold the Conference after our confident victory, and direct the raised contributions to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the organization wrote in a February Facebook post.
Nicholas Poole, the CEO of a U.K.-based library and information association, had his own viral translation of the announcement. "Looking at a message from the Ukraine Library Association concerning the cancellation of their forthcoming conference. It basically says 'We will reschedule just as soon as we have finished vanquishing our invaders,'" Poole wrote in a tweet.
The Ukrainian Library Association has also urged libraries around the world to combat misinformation regarding the invasion, when possible.
