Events dedicated to the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine take  place in Yerevan

ArmInfo. The Ukrainian diaspora in Armenia held the Stand With Ukraine action at the monument to the great Ukrainian poet and artist Taras Shevchenko on the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine, 

Addressing the audience, the head of the Headquarters for Assistance  to Ukrainians <Dopomoga,> Elena Shevchukm noted that the war in  Ukraine has been ongoing for not just 3 years, but  for 11 years.  <But if you delve deeper into history, it has lasted almost 4  centuries. Because every time Ukraine trusted those who promised  protection and partnership, it received betrayal and enslavement,>  she noted.  The head of the Headquarters emphasized that Ukrainians  are standing firm in Armenia, continuing the fight despite limited  opportunities, pain, losses and trials.  <Our enemy wants to break  us. He wants to make us weak, to disunite us. But we will not allow  this to happen. We have no right to be weak, for our children deserve  a future, and we deserve independence,> said Shevchuk, expressing  gratitude to everyone supporting the cause of good and contributing  to the victory.

In connection with the anniversary, the Ukrainian World Congress  launched a global action <Global Alarm>, supported by dozens of  cities around the world where Ukrainians have found refuge, including  Yerevan.  As part of the event, an air raid siren sounded as a  reminder that the war in Ukraine continues and that help is needed.  In Yerevan, the action was held by the <Dopomoga> Aid Headquarters.   <We joined this action to remind the world that the war continues,  and that everyone can contribute to the victory, to the fight for  peace and justice. Together we will demonstrate solidarity with  Ukraine and call for decisive action,> the organization noted.

After the event, the film <We Were Recruits,> directed by Lyubomir  Levitsky was shown at the headquarters of the Dopomoga Foundation.  The film tells the story of 19-year-old recruit Boris Savenko from  the 3rd separate assault brigade, starting his first steps in the  young soldier's course and ending with real combat operations on the  front line.

It should be noted that  the Union of Armenians of Ukraine, led by  Chairman David Mkrtchyan, Deputy Chairman of the Kyiv Armenian  Community Levon Hakobyan and members of the Armenian community, took  part in memorial events.  In Bucha, the SAU delegation honored the  memory of the victims by laying flowers and praying for the souls of  innocently killed citizens  along with the acting Chairman of the  Kyiv Regional State Administration Mykola Kalashnik, Mayor of Bucha  Anatoly Fedoruk and representatives of the Kyiv community, Similarly,  in Irpen, the SAU delegation, led by acting mayor of the city,  Anzhela Makeeva in Kyiv took part in the event "Under the city of  life." During the event , attendees paid tribute to the memory of the  victims and held a memorial service together with Ter Artashes, the  rector of the AAC.

Recall that in a 2023 interview with ArmInfo, David Mkrtchyan  mentioned  that, according to various sources, there are  5 to 7  thousand Armenians  defending the independence of Ukraine on the  front lines, although some data suggests the number could be as high  as 12-15 thousand. <I contacted the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine,  but understandably, they cannot provide such lists due to the ongoing  military actions and martial law. We will most likely learn about  this after the victory,> the head of the SAU noted then.  It should  be noted that the Headquarters for Assistance to Ukrainians is  located in Yerevan at 35 Khanjyan Street.