Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
As Ukraine marks 35 years of independence, communities across Australia are launching nationwide commemorations to celebrate national resilience and demand military aid and action on sanctions.
Festivals, markets, concerts, rallies and other events will take place in every major city to commemorate the war-torn nation’s 1991 declaration of freedom from the Soviet Union.
This year’s commemorations feature special guest and frontline hero Lieutenant Viktoriia Savkiv.
The decorated 25-year-old servicewoman and former combat medic currently serves as a Commander of an Unmanned Aerial Strike Systems Platoon with the 214th Separate Assault Battalion.
A recipient of a bravery award from President Zelenskiy, Ms Savkiv will be a keynote speaker at several events across the country.
The anniversary comes as the war enters its fifth year, transforming the historic date into a high-stakes battle for national survival.
The military conflict began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of sovereign Ukraine on 24 February 2022 to exert control over its neighbour and block its integration with the West.
The United Nations says more than 16,000 civilians have died in Ukraine since the war started, with hundreds of civilian deaths in Russia.
The number of military deaths on both sides is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands.
Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations chair Kateryna Argyrou said it was important to celebrate Ukrainian identity, resilience, and strength.
“Russia is trying to destroy Ukraine… Its identity, its language, its culture,” Ms Argyrou told AAP.
“However… Ukraine still stands and that’s why it’s just so important for us to gather here and around Australia and around the world this weekend.”
Millions of displaced Ukrainians will mark the day with symbolic rallies, including synchronised human chains across global cities to keep attention focused on the war.
In Sydney, hundreds marched across Bondi Beach on Sunday to the North Bondi RSL where a special event was held, acknowledging the support of the Australian public and those who have joined Ukraine on the frontline.
In Melbourne, an outdoor rally at Federation Square will feature community leaders and state government representatives on Monday night.
While traditional military parades in Kyiv remain cancelled because of the threat of Russian missile strikes, the Australian-Ukrainian community is able to demonstrate robust support for the homeland.
President of the Ukrainian Council of NSW Andrew Mencinsky said it was important to show solidarity against Russia’s attempts to destroy Ukraine’s identity, language, and culture.
“When we stand as one, this this helps us carry the weight together,” he told AAP.
“We have many Ukrainians here that have been displaced have lost family, friends, and loved ones on the front line.
“It is a celebration, but it’s also a way of carrying that that weight and that trauma together, and we support each other.”
Beyond humanitarian aid, the community is urging the federal government to provide critical military assistance and close a fuel sanctions loophole.
Advocates say Russian-linked fuel entering Australia has generated over $2.5 billion for the Kremlin, exceeding the total aid Australia has sent to Ukraine since the invasion began.
