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Saturday Night Live viewers were left in tears as TV bosses paid tribute to Ukraine in the first few moments, following the Russian attacks.
Taking the place of the usual cold open sketch, Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong appeared on stage to begin the show.
They introduced the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York, who performed a moving rendition of Prayer for Ukraine for the live audience and viewers watching on from home.
Kyiv was spelled out in candles on a table just in front of the choir.
For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our live blog: Russia-Ukraine live
Following the moving scenes, the pair returned to the stage with the traditional phrase: ‘Live from New York, it’s Saturday night,’ before John Mulaney took over hosting duties.
Viewers were overcome with emotion by the tribute, flocking to Twitter to praise those involved.
‘Omg! @nbcsnl! You’re giving me chills right now! So beautifully haunting. #Ukraine #snl,’ a follower commented.
‘Anybody else burst into tears while watching the cold open of #SNL? #Ukraine,’ another questioned.
‘This opening broke me. #SNL #Ukraine,’ a Twitter user posted.
One agreed: ‘Wow #snl just wow best tribute to Ukraine ever #AmericaStandsWithUkraine @nbcsnl.’
As a fan added: ‘Very moving and respectful tribute to Ukraine and Kyiv tonight on SNL. #SNL.’
‘As a result of the mass shooting, which is still ongoing it is currently not possible to assess the extent of the destruction.’
The inspectorate stressed that there is no threat of radiation from people outside of the protection zone that surrounds the site, and confirmed that the situation will be assessed when there is a break in the bombing.
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