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24
Feb
Ukrainian refugees hold rally in Harrogate
Ukrainian refugees gathered in Harrogate yesterday to mark today’s third anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
Millions of Ukrainians have fled the country since the start of the conflict. A group of them residing in Harrogate gathered by the war memorial on Sunday (February 23) to demonstrate support for their country.
On February 24 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched what he described as a “special military operation” that involved sending troops into Ukraine to annex land.
The invasion is the deadliest conflict in Europe since the Second World War.
At the rally, people held Ukrainian flags and sang traditional songs as an act of defiance against the Russians.
The Stray Ferret spoke yesterday to Liliia Vasylenko-Kuriat, one of the organisers, who told us of her thoughts on the situation.
She said:
I have been living in Harrogate since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. I am very grateful to the people of Britain for their support and the opportunity to be in a safe place.
Tomorrow will be three difficult years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We left our homes to look for a safe place for us and our children.
The morning of every Ukrainian in Britain begins with checking the news in our country. Every morning we check whether our relatives, families, and friends are alive. Life has become grey and mundane.
We dream of a peaceful sky for us and our children. Our goal is peace and freedom for Ukraine. We went to the rally today once again to show the world that the war continues and that we need help and support.
Knaresborough support
The town council in Knaresborough, which has been twinned with Volodymyr, in the Volyn region in the Ukraine since October 2023, issued a statement of support today. It said:
As per the words of the town twinning agreement, we continue to look forward to ‘when peace is established, to encourage the interchange of representatives of our younger community members, of schools, of culture and other associations, to exchange ideas and to take our stand for peace and the well-being of our citizens'.
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