Three Russian astronauts arrived at the International Space Station in spacesuits the color of the Ukrainian flag. They are expected to do so in protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The three were the first to board the station after Russia’s attack on its eastern neighbor last month.
Denis Matveev, Oleg Artemyev and Sergei Korsakov arrived on the ISS after a three-hour flight. They took off from the Russian-owned Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The three went into space in their traditional white uniform.
“Congratulations on a successful connection,” said an unknown voice from Russia’s Flight Control Center minutes after they arrived. Within hours, two pairs of hatches opened, and three smiling men flew into the space station one by one, dressed in bright yellow spacesuits with blue accents.
The astronauts were warmly welcomed on board, hugging and greeting their colleagues from the crew – Russians, Americans and Germans.
The trio wore bright yellow spacesuits with blue accents instead of the standard blue uniform.
The ISS is a joint project of Russia, America, Canada, Japan and several European countries. Russia has not yet commented on the incident.