'Ukraine's still fighting': London Ukrainian community marks 4 years since Russian invasion

Ukrainian pride and solidarity were on full display on Sunday as a large crowd gathered in downtown London to mark four long years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the start of the war, which continues with no clear end in sight.

The rally, held at the northwest corner of Victoria Park early Sunday afternoon, is among at least 60 such events across Canada, organized by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC), to observe the solemn anniversary, which falls on Tuesday.

Local politicians, including several London-area MPs and MPPs, were among those in attendance for the rally, which featured speeches from members of London's Ukrainian community and ended with a march around Victoria Park.

"We want to remember the people of Ukraine, the people who have died, including 14,000 civilians, 40,000 injured, and not to mention how many thousands of military," said Ola Novosad, vice president of the UCC's London branch.

"Also, to bring awareness to the 20,000 children who have been abducted. As the war goes on, there seems to be less focus on the injustice going on there, I think."

Millions of people have also been displaced in the four years since Russia's unprovoked attack on Feb. 24, 2022, including at least 298,128 Ukrainians who came to Canada under the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel, or CUAET.

Novosad says UCC worked with the federal government to design the program, and her chapter helped settle newcomers to London. Many, she says, remain emotionally exhausted and worried, and some are looking to stay here. Others hope to return to Ukraine one day.

Oksana Vintoniak fled Lviv, Ukraine, with her young son, mother, and grandmother in October 2022 as Russian attacks on infrastructure cut off electricity, water and heating for hours every day.

CBC News spoke with Vintoniak about her experience in 2024 for the second anniversary of the invasion. Two years later, she says she can't believe the war is still going and says her son, Matei, who is now nearing six, dreams of returning to Ukraine to visit relatives.

"He talks with his grandparents every single day ... He knows that the war is still going on. I'm not sure whether he understands it properly, like, what exactly is going on, but he knows, like, good guys and bad guys," she said.

Russia on Sunday bombarded Ukraine with a barrage of missiles and drones, leaving one person dead in the Kyiv region, according to Ukraine's Emergency Service. Another eight people, including a child, were rescued from under the rubble of destroyed buildings, it said.

Since Russia's invasion, and despite a new push over the last year in U.S.-led peace efforts, Ukrainian civilians have endured constant aerial attacks. Russia has also ramped up attacks on Ukraine's energy grid, leaving civilians without heat and hydro in the winter cold.

"Ukraine's still fighting. Ukrainians are very determined, goal-oriented people, and I do believe that, finally, we'll get that peace and the end of the war," Vintoniak said.

For Svitlana Stoiko-Hota, participating in Sunday's rally was vital to support her home country and to show that "our hearts are always in Ukraine, and that Ukraine will always be there for us on the agenda," especially since the war has started to "fade off the radars."