Hundreds rally in Winnipeg marking 3rd anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine
CBC
Members of Manitoba's Ukrainian community commemorated the three-year anniversary of the start of Russia's full-scale invasion at a rally that drew hundreds to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on Sunday.
Shoulder to shoulder the crowd filled a room within the museum. Some draped their backs in blue and yellow displaying Ukraine's flag, while others held signs calling for the end of the war, Europe's deadliest and largest conflict since World War II.
Vasyl Kushlyk and his wife, Olha Hladka, held their loved ones still in Ukraine close to their hearts at Sunday's rally.
"They have a notification about drones or rockets every day … I just worry about them … it is really scary," Kushlyk said.
Many of his friends have already died during the war, he said. Some others continue to serve in the military, and he fears one day, he might never get a call back from them.
"I wanna just see them and just say thank you for everything," Kushlyk said. "I'm very proud of them."
At the rally, Betro Lukin wore Ukraine's military uniform and held a picture of his older son. They served together in the army until his son died.
"My father said history is repeating itself," Kiril Lukin, Betro's son said, translating for his father who spoke in Ukrainian with CBC. "During World War II, before it started, Nazi Germany acquired some land, and other countries didn't do a lot about it."
They are hoping the international community will continue to unite and help Ukraine.
Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, in a major escalation of a conflict that began in 2014. Hundreds of thousands of military casualties and tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilian lives have been lost while the country has been besieged and upended.
Outside the museum supporters rallied, waving Ukrainian flags and chanting. Liza Sichkar, who was among the crowd, fled from the war to Canada two years ago. Her family is still back home.
"My heart is breaking every day because of all of this," she said. "I just want peace, and this peace has to be fair."
With Washington's recent approach to the war, holding meetings with Russia without Ukraine present, she fears Russia will never be punished for the war and might even attempt to seize control of Ukraine in coming years.
To her friends still in the army, Sichkar said: "stay strong and continue fighting … the evil should be defeated one day."
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