AP PHOTOS: Day 33: Volunteers rally to aid of Ukraine army
Ukrainian servicemen ride atop a tank near the town of Trostyanets, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
An icon is wrapped on a column of a building inside a Ukrainian volunteer center in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. Ukrainian volunteers have set up a center to supply army and civilians with clothes, food, medicines and makeshift bullet proof vests. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Displaced people disembark from a damaged bus upon their arrival at the Ukrainian Red Cross center in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Halyna Falko looks at the destruction caused after a Russian attack inside her house near Brovary, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A soldier smokes a cigarette near the frontline in Brovary, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A volunteer smokes next to sandbags used for protection, at a Ukrainian volunteer center in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Mykolaivna Shankarukina, 54, kisses her son from inside a damaged bus as she is leaving from the Ukrainian Red Cross center in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. Shankarukina and her family evacuated from Sablagodante village in the Mykolaiv district that have been attacked by the Russian army. She and a grandson are going to Odesa and from there to Prague, as the rest of the family, her son, daughter in law and a grandson will stay in Mykolaiv in a center for displaced residents. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Local residents pass by a damaged Russian tank in the town of Trostyanets, east of capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. The monument to Second World War is seen in background. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
A volunteer folds army clothes inside a Ukrainian volunteer center in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. Ukrainian volunteers have set up a center to supply army and civilians with clothes, food, medicines and makeshift bullet proof vests. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
A man rides a bicycle backdropped by a statue of Grand Princess Olga of Kyiv, in the process of being covered in sandbags to avoid damage from potential shelling, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Ukrainian soldiers prepare to bury 32-year-old Senior Lieutenant Pavlo Chernikov, in the photograph at left, and 47-year-old soldier Roman Valkov, during their funeral ceremony, after being killed in action, at the Lychakiv cemetery, in Lviv, western Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)
The bodies of two Russian soldiers lie in the town of Trostyanets, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
Sofia Boiko, 90, arrives at the Ukrainian Red Cross center in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. Boiko evacuated with others from regions that have been attacked by the Russian army in Mykolaiv district. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
A soldier stands on a bridge destroyed by the Ukrainian army to prevent the passage of Russian tanks near Brovary, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Ukrainian servicemen ride atop a tank near the town of Trostyanets, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
Ukrainian servicemen ride atop a tank near the town of Trostyanets, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
An icon is wrapped on a column of a building inside a Ukrainian volunteer center in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. Ukrainian volunteers have set up a center to supply army and civilians with clothes, food, medicines and makeshift bullet proof vests. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
An icon is wrapped on a column of a building inside a Ukrainian volunteer center in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. Ukrainian volunteers have set up a center to supply army and civilians with clothes, food, medicines and makeshift bullet proof vests. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Displaced people disembark from a damaged bus upon their arrival at the Ukrainian Red Cross center in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Displaced people disembark from a damaged bus upon their arrival at the Ukrainian Red Cross center in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Halyna Falko looks at the destruction caused after a Russian attack inside her house near Brovary, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Halyna Falko looks at the destruction caused after a Russian attack inside her house near Brovary, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A soldier smokes a cigarette near the frontline in Brovary, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A soldier smokes a cigarette near the frontline in Brovary, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A volunteer smokes next to sandbags used for protection, at a Ukrainian volunteer center in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
A volunteer smokes next to sandbags used for protection, at a Ukrainian volunteer center in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Mykolaivna Shankarukina, 54, kisses her son from inside a damaged bus as she is leaving from the Ukrainian Red Cross center in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. Shankarukina and her family evacuated from Sablagodante village in the Mykolaiv district that have been attacked by the Russian army. She and a grandson are going to Odesa and from there to Prague, as the rest of the family, her son, daughter in law and a grandson will stay in Mykolaiv in a center for displaced residents. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Mykolaivna Shankarukina, 54, kisses her son from inside a damaged bus as she is leaving from the Ukrainian Red Cross center in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. Shankarukina and her family evacuated from Sablagodante village in the Mykolaiv district that have been attacked by the Russian army. She and a grandson are going to Odesa and from there to Prague, as the rest of the family, her son, daughter in law and a grandson will stay in Mykolaiv in a center for displaced residents. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Local residents pass by a damaged Russian tank in the town of Trostyanets, east of capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. The monument to Second World War is seen in background. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Local residents pass by a damaged Russian tank in the town of Trostyanets, east of capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. The monument to Second World War is seen in background. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
A volunteer folds army clothes inside a Ukrainian volunteer center in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. Ukrainian volunteers have set up a center to supply army and civilians with clothes, food, medicines and makeshift bullet proof vests. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
A volunteer folds army clothes inside a Ukrainian volunteer center in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. Ukrainian volunteers have set up a center to supply army and civilians with clothes, food, medicines and makeshift bullet proof vests. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
A man rides a bicycle backdropped by a statue of Grand Princess Olga of Kyiv, in the process of being covered in sandbags to avoid damage from potential shelling, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A man rides a bicycle backdropped by a statue of Grand Princess Olga of Kyiv, in the process of being covered in sandbags to avoid damage from potential shelling, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Ukrainian soldiers prepare to bury 32-year-old Senior Lieutenant Pavlo Chernikov, in the photograph at left, and 47-year-old soldier Roman Valkov, during their funeral ceremony, after being killed in action, at the Lychakiv cemetery, in Lviv, western Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)
Ukrainian soldiers prepare to bury 32-year-old Senior Lieutenant Pavlo Chernikov, in the photograph at left, and 47-year-old soldier Roman Valkov, during their funeral ceremony, after being killed in action, at the Lychakiv cemetery, in Lviv, western Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)
The bodies of two Russian soldiers lie in the town of Trostyanets, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
The bodies of two Russian soldiers lie in the town of Trostyanets, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
Sofia Boiko, 90, arrives at the Ukrainian Red Cross center in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. Boiko evacuated with others from regions that have been attacked by the Russian army in Mykolaiv district. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Sofia Boiko, 90, arrives at the Ukrainian Red Cross center in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, on Monday, March 28, 2022. Boiko evacuated with others from regions that have been attacked by the Russian army in Mykolaiv district. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
A soldier stands on a bridge destroyed by the Ukrainian army to prevent the passage of Russian tanks near Brovary, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
A soldier stands on a bridge destroyed by the Ukrainian army to prevent the passage of Russian tanks near Brovary, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Ukrainian volunteers fold clothing at a center in Mykolaiv, set up to supply the army with makeshift bullet proof vests, clothing and other supplies.
Displaced people disembark from a damaged bus upon their arrival at the Ukrainian Red Cross center in the key shipbuilding center on the Black Sea coast. Among them is 90-year-old Sofia Boiko, her eyes fearful from under a blue plaid shawl.
An icon is wrapped on a column at the volunteer center by a banner scribbled with the words “I love Ukraine,” and “I hate Putin” in the colors of Ukraine’s blue-and-yellow flag, along with these simple words of encouragement: “STAY STRONG.”
Faced with fierce Ukrainian resistance, Russian forces are stalled at Mykolaiv, an entry point to several other key Black Sea ports, which if seized would completely cut off Ukraine’s access to its coast.