Russian Cosmonauts Wear Ukrainian Colors into Space — But Deny That They Were Worn in Support

AP/Shutterstock

A trio of Russian cosmonauts arrived at the International Space Station on Friday dressed in the colors of the Ukrainian flag amid Russia's ongoing invasion of the country.

However, the true meaning behind the suits remains a mystery.

Typically, cosmonauts wear standard blue flight suits. But Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev, and Sergey Korsakov changed into bright yellow suits with various blue accents after blasting off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan earlier that day, according to the U.K.'s Sunday Times.

Though the purpose behind the cosmonauts' suits is still unclear, the men's new attire appeared amid Russia's ongoing attack on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24.

RELATED: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Visits Teen Gunfire Victim in the Hospital: 'It Is Not Easy'

During a press conference live-streamed by Russia's space agency Roscosmos, Artemyev, the commander of the crew, quipped in Russian that "it became our turn to pick a color" and ultimately opted for yellow after "a lot of yellow material" had accumulated, BBC News reported.

"So we needed to use it," he joked, per the outlet. "That's why we had to wear yellow."

AP/Shutterstock

Roscosmos director-general Dmitry Rogozin later denied any connection between the yellow and blue suits and the Ukrainian flag on his personal Telegram channel, according to Reuters.

"Color is just color. It has nothing to do with Ukraine," he reportedly said. "In these days, even though we are in space, we are together with our president and people!"

Additionally, the Sunday Times reports that flight suits are typically packed onto spacecrafts "weeks before lift off." (The conflict in Russia began less than a month before the Russian cosmonauts took off for the ISS).

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Jonathan McDowell, a scientist at the Harvard Center for Astrophysics, has suggested on Twitter that the Russians' spacesuits are actually meant to represent Bauman University. All three men attended the school, per The New York Times.

"They made a big deal of this being the first all-Bauman crew," the scientist wrote in a quote tweet of the school's logo and colors. "(BMGTU is sort of Moscow's MIT AeroAstro and many Russian astronauts are graduates)."

AP/Shutterstock

In the weeks since Vladimir Putin launched his attack on Ukraine, hundreds of civilians have already been reported dead or wounded, including children. Millions of Ukrainians have also fled, the United Nations says.

RELATED: Two Harvard Teens Create Website to Help Ukrainian Refugees Find Free Housing

Putin insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the best security interests of his country. But Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed not to bend.

The Russian cosmonauts are slated for a six-month stay on the ISS. Two other Russians, four Americans, and one German were already aboard the station when the Soyuz capsule carrying the Russians docked on Friday, per the Sunday Times.

The Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing quickly. Follow PEOPLE's complete coverage of the war here, including stories from citizens on the ground and ways to help.