Politics Bono Performs at Kyiv Subway Station-Turned-Bomb Shelter: 'A Show of Solidarity' Bono and the Edge performed "Stand By Me" in a surprise performance amid the Russian invasion By Virginia Chamlee Virginia Chamlee Twitter Virginia Chamlee is a Politics Writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE for three years. Her work has previously appeared in The Washington Post, Buzzfeed, Eater, and other outlets. People Editorial Guidelines Published on May 9, 2022 03:46 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Bono performing in May. Photo: SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Following an invite from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U2's Bono and guitarist the Edge performed "Stand By Me" in an underground subway station that's turned into a makeshift bomb shelter amid the Russian invasion. "President @ZelenskyyUa invited us to perform in Kyiv as a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and so that's what we've come to do," the two said in a message posted to U2's official Twitter account. Politico reports that the performance — which took place in the Khreschatyk metro station — also featured a singer in Ukrainian military fatigues. U2 previously teamed up with Global Citizen to help those displaced by the war, an initiative that Zelenskyy said he was "grateful" for in a video posted to social media. Global Citizen Teams Up with U2, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and More World Leaders on Social Media Rally for Ukraine While in Ukraine, Politico reports that U2 also paid a visit to the besieged town of Bucha. Russian forces — who have denied committing such atrocities, insisting they were faked — withdrew from Bucha, which sits northwest of Kyiv, in early April, reportedly leaving behind a wake of destruction and horror stories from area residents. Bucha's chief regional prosecutor told Human Rights Watch that more than 275 bodies had been found in the town since Russian forces withdrew, the vast majority of which are civilians. That number is expected to rise as more bodies are discovered. Funeral home staffers in the town have said that, during the Russian occupation, they were forced to place bodies in communal graves outside a church, after they ran out of space in the morgue. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday. Russia's attack on Ukraine continues after their forces launched a large-scale invasion on Feb. 24 — the first major land conflict in Europe in decades. Details of the fighting change by the day, but hundreds of civilians have already been reported dead or wounded, including children. Millions of Ukrainians have also fled, the United Nations says. The invasion, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has drawn condemnation around the world and increasingly severe economic sanctions against Russia. With NATO forces massing in the region around Ukraine, various countries have also pledged aid or military support to the resistance. Zelenskyy called for peace talks — so far unsuccessful — while urging his country to fight back. "Nobody is going to break us, we're strong, we're Ukrainians," he told the European Union in a speech in the early days of the fighting, adding, "Life will win over death. And light will win over darkness." The Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing quickly. Follow PEOPLE's complete coverage of the war here, including stories from citizens on the ground and ways to help.