'Make sure Ukraine wins': Edmontonians continue showing support for the war-torn state

Edmontonians gathered at Churchill Square Sunday afternoon to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine as fighting with Russian forces continues.

Sunday marked the Ukrainian Canadian Congress' national day of action for Ukraine, with 30 rallies hosted across the country to help raise awareness of the Russian invasion of that country.

Yaroslav Broda, president of the congress' Edmonton branch, said the conflict is entering its 80th day, with no end in sight.

"We want to just keep the war in Ukraine front of mind," Broda said. "It's very much still going on. It's still very hot."

Broda said his cousins are awaiting their visa applications to come to Canada after a rocket strike levelled their home.

"It's pretty horrific and devastating," he said. "Just this morning, I was talking to a woman and her mother who just arrived in Edmonton a couple of days ago, and she was showing me pictures.

"She worked at a greenhouse for a rose company, they grow millions of roses every year for florists, and she showed me pictures of the greenhouses mixed in with unexploded rockets stuck in the ground."

He encouraged Edmontonians to remain engaged and informed about the war.

"We want to keep showing our support firstly for people in Ukraine (and) secondly to keep the pressure on our elected officials to keep supporting Ukraine," he added. "We need to push back and make sure Ukraine wins."