Hundreds rally in Winnipeg marking 3rd anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

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."

'We are with you': Kinew

Premier Wab Kinew addressed the crowd at the rally, saying Manitoba will always stand with Ukraine and for it being its own free and independent nation, just like Canada.

"The support, the solidarity, the fraternity and sorority that Manitoba feels for Ukraine. It's not just words," he said.

The premier hailed Austin Lathlin-Bercier, an Opaskwayak Cree Nation man who died after fighting alongside the Ukrainian army, alongside a Manitoba Legislative Building security guard , who the premier said spent one year fighting against Russia.

"Manitobans, in a very real way, have given our blood, our sweat and our tears to support Ukraine's war effort."

He said the province will also move ahead with a partnership to help rebuild energy and food supplies in Ukraine. 

"This fight for freedom and democracy and human rights is one in which we all must be united together around the world," the premier said. "We are here to say that we are with you in this struggle."

Terry Duguid, MP for Winnipeg South and federal sport minister, told the crowd Ukrainians are not only fighting for their country but "fighting for us … they are fighting for our freedom, they are fighting for democracy around the world."

"One day, and I hope this is one day soon, Russia will be held accountable for their heinous war crimes," he said. "It is absolutely abhorrent and unacceptable what Ukraine has had to endure and it must stop."

He rejected Trump's recent idea of allowing Russia to join the G7 years after it was excluded from the group for annexing Crimea in 2014.

"Vladimir Putin will never be welcomed on Canadian soil," Duguid said.

James Bezan, Conservative MP for Selkirk-Interlake-Eastman, read a statement from Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre, saying the party's dedication to stand in solidarity has not wavered and they believe no process of peace negotiations should happen without Ukraine.

'Despite everything they have faced in the last 11 years, Ukraine has not perished, nor her glory, nor her freedom," Poilievre's statement said.

Bezan added the party will continue to ensure Ukraine gets the financial support and weapons it needs.

"There cannot be peace with weakness," Bezan said.

'Let their sacrifices be springs of hope' 

Meanwhile, the head of the Manitoba branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress says Ukraine needs Canada's support now more than ever. 

Ukrainian Canadian Congress Manitoba Provincial Council president Joanne Lewandosky said Sunday morning that while she's grateful for how Canada has stood with Ukrainians, as Russia intensifies its attacks and support from the U.S. falters, there's always room for more to be done, including the purchase of more ammunition.

"We owe it to those who fought for us ... we owe it to those who are still defending Ukraine, and we owe it to our future generations too that we stood with them when it mattered," she said ahead of Sunday's rally. 

Before a service Sunday morning at the Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Cathedral, Andriy Rabiy, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg, said Sunday and Monday would be days of mourning of the "tremendous loss of life." 

"Many of the people who come to pray here they actually do have relatives, immediate family, extended family, friends, schoolmates that are fighting and unfortunately, they [gave] up their life defending the country," he said. 

Rabiy also said his message to community members Sunday would be to "keep our hopes up" and remember the lives lost, so their sacrifices for Ukraine aren't in vain. 

"Let their sacrifices be springs of hope for us, whether it be individually, also a country, or the entire Ukrainian community, and for the entire world for that matter," he said.