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12 photos that show what’s going on in Ukraine right now

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine unfolds in real time, pictures taken on the ground show the harrowing moments that people in the country are experiencing.
/ Source: TODAY

The situation continues to escalate as the world watches Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Troops have made their way toward the capital city of Kyiv, while missiles have been launched in the area, sending residents scurrying underground to subway stations for safety. The stations were constructed decades ago before the Soviet Union fell, with the added use of serving as shelters in case of an American attack.

Residents in other parts of Ukraine have moved to other makeshift bomb shelters, while families are separating, as men have been summoned to remain behind in case they are needed to defend their country.

The United Nations confirmed at least 25 people have died in Ukraine, although it believes the number is probably higher. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that at least 137 people were killed during the first day of the attacks, while 316 were injured. The Ukrainian government says Russia had lost as many as 1,000 people. NBC News has not confirmed the number of deaths for either country.

Zelenskyy, who has remained in Kyiv, spoke to the country Friday, saying they will not bow down to the Russians.

“They say they do not want to target civilians. These are lies,” he said. “The fight continues. Russia expects us to get tired, but (we) are not.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Chinese President Xi Jinping in a phone call Friday that he is willing to engage in negotiations with Ukraine. This comes after Zelenskyy asked Putin to negotiate in order to stop military aggression.

Rocket attack the city of Kyiv
A woman reacts next to her house following a rocket attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 25, 2022.Emilio Morenatti / AP
People rest in the Kyiv subway
People rest in the Kyiv subway, using it as a bomb shelter on Feb. 24, 2022. Russia has launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases, while also sending troops and tanks from multiple directions in a move that could rewrite the world's geopolitical landscape.Emilio Morenatti / AP

While the tenuous situation plays out in real time, photographs from Ukraine have captured the harrowing moments that people in the country are experiencing.

A woman holds her baby as she gets on a bus
A woman holds her baby as she gets on a bus leaving Kyiv on Feb. 24, 2022. Russia launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine, hitting cities and bases with airstrikes or shelling, as civilians piled into trains and cars to flee. Emilio Morenatti / AP
A Ukrainian Army soldier inspects fragments of a downed aircraft
A Ukrainian Army soldier inspects fragments of a downed aircraft in Kyiv on Feb. 25, 2022. It was unclear what aircraft crashed and what brought it down amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine.Vadim Zamirovsky / AP
Kyiv cat
A woman carries her cat as she walks near the Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi railway station in Kyiv on the morning of Feb. 24, 2022. Air raid sirens rang out in downtown Kyiv as cities across Ukraine were hit with what Ukrainian officials said were Russian missile strikes and artillery.Daniel Leal / AFP - Getty Images
Bomb shelter in Kyiv
A boy, 6, plays with his tablet in a public basement used as a bomb shelter in Kyiv on Feb. 24, 2022.Emilio Morenatti / AP
Ukrainian soldiers take position
Ukrainian soldiers take position on a bridge in Kyiv on Feb. 25, 2022.Emilio Morenatti / AP
People lie in the Kyiv subway
People lie in the Kyiv subway, using it as a bomb shelter on Feb. 24, 2022. Emilio Morenatti / AP
Image: Russia Starts Large-Scale Attack On Ukraine
A resident cleans up smashed glass in her damaged apartment in a residential block hit by an early morning missile strike on Feb. 25, 2022, in Kyiv.Chris McGrath / Getty Images
Image: A residential building is damaged, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Kyiv
A child sits on a swing in front of a damaged residential building. Umit Bektas / Reuters
Image: A view shows a damaged school building in the Donetsk region
A view shows a school building, which locals said was damaged by recent shelling, in the separatist-controlled town of Horlivka (Gorlovka) in the Donetsk region.Alexander Ermochenko / Reuters
A religious woman holds a cross as she prays
A religious woman holds a cross as she prays in Kyiv's Independence Square on Feb. 24, 2022. Daniel Leal / AFP - Getty Images