Banksy artwork vanishes in Ukraine – media

The graffiti has been cut from a wall in the city of Gostomel, both local newspaper and social media users have alleged

An artwork by mysterious street artist Banksy disappeared from a wall at an apartment block in the Ukrainian city of Gostomel on Friday, the police have confirmed to a local media outlet.

Seven graffiti, which resembled Banksy’s style and decried the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, popped up in Kiev and nearby locations, including Gostomel, in early November. The iconic artist, whose identity remains unknown to this day, later confirmed to the media that the works were indeed his. They are his first public murals after almost a year of silence.

The artwork in Gostomel depicted a woman in a gas mask and a bathing gown, and holding a fire extinguisher in her hands. She was standing on an actual wooden chair, which had been attached to the wall.

However, locals reported on social media earlier in the day that the mural was gone and posted images with an empty wall at the spot where it used to be. The graffiti had been drawn on a piece of thermal insulation and this was cut out by the perpetrators.