Here’s a familiar song as it’s never been heard before.
Ukrainian punk band Beton have reimagined The Clash’s hit single London Calling as an “anthem of solidarity and hope” for their people amid the Russian invasion.

The trio – Bohdan Hrynko, Oleg Hula and Andriy Zholob – recorded their new version, Kyiv Calling, last Thursday and Friday in a music studio in the city of Lviv.

The new lyrics include the lines “Come out of neutrality, you boys and girls” and “Phony Putinmania has bitten the dust.”

The video features footage from friends and family of the band, plus colleagues and volunteers as Russian attacks take place across Ukraine, from Kharkiv to Kyiv.

There’s another Clash connection too: the track was mixed and mastered by producer Danny Saber, one of the last people to work with Joe Strummer before his death in 2002.

Proceeds from the song will go to the Free Ukraine Resistance Movement (FURM) – a citizen-led network bringing together 30 non-governmental organisations from across the country.

Since the war began, guitarist and vocalist Zholob has been working as an orthopaedic doctor treating war victims and soldiers. Drummer and vocalist Hrynko and bassist and vocalist Hula have both joined the territorial defence force, prepared to take up arms when asked.

Zholob said: “Many Ukrainian musicians are now on battlefields or in territorial defence. This time they’ve changed guitars to guns. We hope this song shows Ukrainians’ spirit and our defiance to Russian aggression.

“The Clash were one of our inspirations when we fell in love with punk rock. There is no snobbery or pretentiousness to the music – they had something to say and voiced their opinions against human anger. London Calling epitomises all of that.”

He added: “Our country will defend our hard-won liberty and protect our right to self-determination. We have no doubt about our victory: we are proud to be Ukrainians and feel support from musicians abroad. This means so much!”

Ostap Kryvdyk, international secretary of FURM, said: “For us the music of the Clash is the music of freedom. We must stop the new Iron Curtain falling.

“London Calling was the call sign of the resistance of Britain when it stood alone against the Nazis. We want Kyiv Calling to be the symbol of resistance to the new aggressor in Europe.”