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Banksy posts new mural from Ukrainian town

November 12, 2022

The British artist appears to have confirmed he is in Ukraine by posting an image of a gymnast on a war-damaged house. Speculation has been rife after several murals in his style popped up near the capital Kyiv.

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Graffiti of a woman in a leotard doing a handstand on the wall of a destroyed building in Borodyanka, Ukraine, on November 11, 2022
The British graffiti artist appeared to confirm that he was behind several artworks in and around KyivImage: Ed Ram/Getty Images

Renowned street artist Banksy has released images of a new mural, this time on a bombed-out building about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.

The mural, captioned "Borodyanka, Ukraine," is named after a town damaged by fighting in the early days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and occupied by Moscow's forces until April.

Posted to Instagram late Friday, the mural shows a girl gymnast performing a handstand on chunks of broken masonry on the grey wall of a war-damaged house.

Two other murals unconfirmed

At least two other pieces of new graffiti in Banksy's signature style have been spotted in Borodyanka, portraying a man being flipped in judo by a much smaller child.

Graffiti of a child throwing a man on the floor in judo clothing is seen on a wall in Borodyanka, Ukraine on November 11, 2022
This mural, as yet unclaimed, sparked speculation over whether Banksy has been working in UkraineImage: Ed Ram/Getty Images

The piece is perhaps a nod to Russian President Vladimir Putin's love of the Japanese martial art and an allusion to the biblical story of David and Goliath, symbolizing the unlikely triumph of the underdog.

On the side of a ruined building in Irpin, a third mural — also unconfirmed by Banksy — shows a gymnast performing a ribbon routine despite apparently being hurt and wearing a neck collar.

Graffiti of a woman in a leotard and a neck brace waving a ribbon on the wall of a destroyed building in Irpin, Ukraine on November 11, 2022
Banksy has yet to confirm this mural, of a woman in a leotard and neck brace, is his workImage: Ed Ram/Getty Images

Posting a piece of work on his Instagram is usually seen as Banksy claiming the work as his.

But as the latter two images were not posted, it is unclear if it is the artist's work.

A number of murals — in the style of Banksy — have appeared in and around the Ukrainian capital recently, prompting locals to wonder whether the street artist might be working in the war-ravaged country.

Banksy has traveled to crisis zones in the past, including the West Bank.

Residents hail symbolic images

Several curious onlookers came to see the artwork, including 31-year-old Alina Mazur from Kyiv.

"This is such a historic moment for our country, that people like Banksy and other famous figures are coming here and showing the world what Russia has done to us," she said.

"It is a symbol that we are unbreakable," 32-year-old Oleksiy Savochka told AFP on Saturday, referring to the graffiti. "And our country is unbreakable."

Ukraine has made major territorial gains against invading Russian forces in the east and south since September.

In the latest success, President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday declared the strategic southern city of Kherson "ours" after Russia withdrew its troops.

mm/aw (AFP, dpa, Reuters)