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Photographer’s haunting photo shows Ukrainian mom who shielded her baby from a missile

A French photojournalist captured the image of a Ukrainian mother in Kyiv who used her body to shield her 6-week-old daughter after a missile attack.
The photo was captured by French photojournalist Veronique de Viguerie earlier this month. 
The photo was captured by French photojournalist Veronique de Viguerie earlier this month. Véronique de Viguerie
/ Source: TODAY

A photo of a woman in a hospital breastfeeding her baby is spreading across social media, but not for the typical emotions such a photo evokes.

The emotional image, captured by French photojournalist Veronique de Viguerie of Paris, instead shows the reality of motherhood in Ukraine amidst the Russian invasion.

In the photo, a young mother with a bloodied and bandaged head and intravenous line looks somberly at the camera while an infant breastfeeds.

Olga and her 6-week-old daughter Victoria.
Olga and her 6-week-old daughter Victoria.Véronique de Viguerie

"I met Olga in a hospital in Kyiv in the (intensive care) center," de Viguerie, who is on assignment for "Le Figaro" told TODAY Parents. "She (had) arrived the day before."Olga, a civilian living in Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine, was breastfeeding her 6-week-old daughter Victoria, when a missile struck the family’s home on March 17, according to de Viguerie.

Related: Voicemails from Kyiv: Listen to one woman’s dispatches from a week in a war zone

“She was in a residential area in the Podilskyi area of Kyiv,” de Viguerie said of Olga and her infant, adding it was 8 a.m. when the attack began.

de Viguerie was unharmed in the attack. A mother herself, she told TODAY she "resonates" with Olga, whose last name she did not learn.

“Olga shielded Victoria with her body, probably saving her life," de Viguerie said.

Olga and Victoria in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Olga and Victoria in Kyiv, Ukraine. Véronique de Viguerie

The award-winning photojournalist also shared a photo of the area Olga and Victoria were the day the missile struck.

The French photojournalist shared this image of a residential area in the Podilskyi area of Kyiv after the attack.
The French photojournalist shared this image of a residential area in the Podilskyi area of Kyiv after the attack.Véronique de Viguerie

“This is the residential area where Olga was the day of the attack,” de Viguerie told TODAY. “Obviously the civilians are targeted by Russia.”

Related: This is what it’s like to be a pregnant woman in Ukraine right now

According to the U.N. Refugee Agency, more than 3.7 million refugees have fled Ukraine since Russia began invading on Feb. 24.

"The escalation of conflict in Ukraine has caused destruction of civilian infrastructure and civilian casualties and has forced people to flee their homes seeking safety, protection and assistance," the U.N. stated on their data portal.

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