Thieves Try to Steal Banksy Mural From Scorched Wall in Ukrainian Town

A group of thieves were thwarted after they attempted to steal a mural by the renowned street artist Banksy on the outskirts of Kyiv, a Ukrainian official said Friday.

The image of a woman in a bathrobe and gas mask holding a fire extinguisher, was cut away from the war damaged wall on the side of a scorched building in the Hostomel suburb of the Ukrainiain capital, Kyiv Regional Gov. Oleksii Kuleba said in a post on his Telegram channel.

He said the thieves “were detained at the scene,” and the image was “undamaged” and under the protection of law enforcement officers.

“These images are a symbol of our struggle against the enemy,” he added. “These are stories about the support and solidarity of the entire civilized world with Ukraine. Let’s do everything to preserve the works of street art as a symbol of our future victory.”

The mural is one of several Banksy has completed in Ukraine since the Russian invasion on Feb. 24.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com.