Banksy confirms responsibility for seven new murals in Ukraine

Following the reveal of the gymnast graffiti in Ukraine, elusive British artist Banksy has also confirmed seven other pieces in the war-torn country.

The seven murals have appeared in numerous locations around Ukraine including the capital Kyiv, in the suburbs of Irpin and the town of Borodyanka – all of which have been hit hard throughout the war. 

In the past few weeks, it was speculated that the famously anonymous artist might have found their way into the country. Those in the country documented sightings of a mural that depicts a man resembling Russian president Vladimir Putin thrown to the floor in a judo match with a young boy (Putin holds a black belt in the sport). Another piece shows two children using a metal tank trap as a seesaw, while a third mural, painted within the ruins of a bombed building, is of a gymnast doing a handstand.

According to The Art Newspaper, Banksy confirmed to them that the seven murals are indeed theirs. 

The new works are Banksy’s first public murals in more than a year, though this is not the first time his work has been associated with Ukraine. In March, a print of one of his most famous anti-war pieces, CND Soldiers, was sold at auction, raising $106,505 for a children’s hospital in Kyiv.