Ukraine has shown its gratitude to European Parliament president Roberta Metsola through a billboard erected in the war-scarred town of Irpin.

The billboard shows a large image of a smiling Metsola with her name displayed on the side.

A caption reads: "The world of brave people. #ThanksForTheSupport"

Sharing the image on social media, the Nationalist Party MEP said she was moved by the tribute.

"I got emotional seeing this billboard put up in Irpin, Ukraine, that witnessed such horror, whose people inspired the world. Thank you, Irpin," she wrote.

Irpin, in the pine forests on Kyiv's northwestern edge, bore the full force of Russia's advance on the capital in the war's first weeks.

After a month-long battle marked by heavy urban combat, Russia pulled out of Irpin in late March, leaving behind hundreds of dead civilians, according to official estimates. 

Once leafy parks were strewn with bodies and barely a building had escaped the violence unscathed. Much of the town is still in ruins.

A resident walks past a heavily damaged residential building in Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, this month. Photo: AFP

Metsola, who has been a strong supporter of Ukraine in its defence against Russia, reiterated her support.

“We’ll not stop fighting for justice and accountability for what you endured under Russian occupation,” she wrote.

One of her recent initiatives is the Generators of Hope campaign, which aims to provide Ukraine with power generators.

It calls on cities to donate power generators and transformers to help Ukrainians get through the harsh winter ahead.