Individuals lower Banksy mural off battle-scarred Ukraine wall

By Tom Balmforth

KYIV (Reuters) -A gaggle of individuals tried to take a mural by graffiti artist Banksy in Ukraine on Friday by reducing it off a battle-scarred wall the place it was painted, the governor of Kyiv area mentioned.

The group managed to slice off a bit of board and plaster bearing the picture of a girl in a fuel masks and dressing robe holding a hearth extinguisher on the facet of a scorched constructing.

However they have been noticed on the scene within the metropolis of Hostomel close to Kyiv and the mural was retrieved, Oleksiy Kuleba mentioned in an announcement.

The picture was nonetheless intact and police have been defending it, he added.

“These pictures are, in any case, symbols of our battle towards the enemy … We’ll do all the pieces to protect these works of avenue artwork as a logo of our victory,” he mentioned.

Banksy, whose work can promote for tens of millions of {dollars} on the artwork market, confirmed he had painted the mural and 6 others final month in locations that have been badly affected by heavy preventing after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.

One of many different murals exhibits a lady gymnast performing a handstand on a small pile of concrete rubble. One other exhibits an previous man having a shower.

Police printed pictures of the yellow wall in Hostomel, with a big patch lower all the way in which again to the brickwork. Various individuals have been arrested on the scene, they mentioned.

Russia’s warfare in Ukraine is now in its tenth month. Moscow’s forces have been pushed again from round Kyiv within the first section of the warfare, however preventing rages on within the east and south.