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SNL offers a 'Prayer for Ukraine' in its cold open

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NEW YORK — "Saturday Night Live" normally kicks off each show with some humor, but the comedy sketch series opened with a tribute performance to Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion.

The Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York performed a "Prayer for Ukraine" during the opening of "SNL" on Saturday. Cast members Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong introduced the choir.

The choir sang the melancholy tune in front of a live audience and a table of candles that spelled the name of Ukraine's capital city, Kyiv.

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Russian troops launched an attack on Ukraine this week. The ongoing invasion involves explosions and airstrikes on the city.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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