Ukrainian Soldiers Play Grimmest Board Game Ever As They Wait For Russians

Ukrainian soldiers were photographed playing checkers, using Molotov cocktails for game pieces, while guarding a barricade on the outskirts of Kyiv.

Photos taken by Chris McGrath for Getty Images on Sunday are now going viral on social media.

The homemade bottle bombs have become something of a symbol of Ukrainian resistance against the invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, which began on February 24.

As the Russian military rolled into Ukraine, authorities encouraged citizens to make the weapons — leading to a spike in online searches for “how to make a Molotov cocktail,” according to The Washington Post.

The Ukrainian army shared instructions on how to hit tanks with the weapons, and the Pravda Brewery in Lviv switched production from beer to bombs. Other companies also have helped ramp up production.