MEZIESBLOG

On a freezing cold, misty day, small groups of people gather, sometimes hugging, sometimes crying, sometimes just silent.

In front of them, the wall of St Michael’s golden-domed monastery in the centre of Kyiv’s old town.

The walls are now festooned with the faces of thousands of soldiers, all dead, all killed in this war with Russia.

It started as a single picture of a fallen soldier placed on the wall. This memorial now stretches into the distance, and there’s no space left except on the very top of the wall.

A cafe worker brought out a ladder so a family could reach up and place their loved one’s picture alongside fallen comrades.

A short distance away, a funeral procession enters the grounds of the monastery, past the faces on the wall and into the ornate interior of the monastery’s chapel.

Another funeral service for a soldier killed in battle, another family left in grief.

There are so many of these services, and they’re so common it’s easy to forget another life has been lost. This soldier’s name is Pavlo Verdybida, killed at 34 years old.

His comrades gather in the monastery’s chapel, holding candles and paying respects.

His best friend Andrii, also just a young man, also a soldier, told me he too is ready to die for Ukraine.

“Our president wants to save people, but we are ready to die for Ukraine,” he said.

Four killed and more than 20 wounded in Dnipro strike

A Russian attack on a village in the Dnipro region has killed four people and wounded more than 20 others, according to Ukrainian officials.

A rescue mission is underway after a residential building and a shop in Tsarichanka were hit, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Among the 21 injured was an 11-year-old boy, who has been taken to hospital in a moderate condition.

Eight others are in a serious condition, including damage to organs and fractures.

“Almost every day Ukraine defends itself from this completely inhumane pressure,” said Zelenskyy.

“I am grateful to everyone who helps us to go through all this, to protect ourselves from terror and save life for people.”

If you’re just checking in, here is a recap of the key developments over the last 24 hours.

• Poland’s prime minister inspected a $2.5bn project to fortify its eastern borders with Belarus, Russia and – he said for the first time – Ukraine;
• It’s the largest project of its kind in Europe since 1945 and constitutes the eastern edge of both NATO and the EU’s borders;
• Meanwhile, Russian and Chinese strategic bombers conducted a joint patrol, the Russian defence ministry said;
• A Russian attack on a village in the Dnipro region killed four people and wounded more than 20 others, according to Ukrainian officials;
• Russian jets reportedly bombed rebel fighters in and around Aleppo, Syria.