Ukrainian soldiers have been writing tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II on their missiles before firing them at Russian military targets.
Photos shared on Twitter by someone, who claims to be a Ukrainian artilleryman, shows phrases including: “R.I.P Queen Elizabeth II', “Keep calm and carry on” and “Glory to The Queen” written on the side of green shell casings.
The images were captioned: “Ukrainian artillery men's sincere gratitude and respect to the remarkable leader of a great nation.”
Following the news that Queen Elizabeth II had died aged 96 on Thursday (8 September), Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, joined a slew of foreign leaders in paying their respects to the late monarch.
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Writing on Twitter, Zelenskyy said: “It is with deep sadness that we learned of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
“On behalf of the Ukrainian people, we extend sincere condolences to the entire United Kingdom and the Commonwealth over this irreparable loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.”
While the Queen had to remain strictly neutral when it came to political matters, she still showed her support by donating a 'generous' sum to the UK charity, Disasters Emergency Committee, to help Ukrainian refugees from the Russian invasion.
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The charity wrote on Twitter: “Many thanks to Her Majesty The Queen for continuing to support the Disasters Emergency Committee and for making a generous donation to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal."
A source from Buckingham Palace, however, refused to disclose the amount, telling The Sun that it was a 'private matter'.
She also wished Ukraine a happy Independence Day just last month, with the British Embassy Kyiv writing on Twitter: “On their 31st anniversary of Independence, Her Majesty The Queen congratulates Ukrainians.”
As per the embassy, the monarch said: “It gives me great pleasure to send Your Excellency and the people of Ukraine my warmest greetings on the celebration of your Independence Day.
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"In this most challenging year, I hope that today will be a time for the Ukrainian people, both in Ukraine and around the world, to celebrate their culture, history and identity. May we look to better times in the future.”
On Friday (9 September), Buckingham Palace confirmed a period of royal mourning will be observed for seven days after the Queen's funeral, which is expected to take place in the next 10 days.
Topics: The Queen, Royal Family, Ukraine, Russia
Aisha Nozari