Candy floss and burnt out tanks: Ukraine marks independence day and six month anniversary of Russia’s invasion
Ukraine celebrated its 31st independence day and six months since the country was invaded by Russia, by displaying charred Kremlin tanks on the streets of Kyiv.
Residents of the capital were pictured eating candy floss and celebrating the national holiday, three decades on after freeing itself from Moscow, as the remains of the Kremlin’s military vehicles were displayed in the streets.
Marking six months since the 24 February invasion, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said “repugnant Russian provocations” may continue.
“We are fighting against the most terrible threat to our statehood and also at a time when we have achieved the greatest level of national unity,” he said in a Tuesday evening address.
According to Reuters, Kyiv’s top military dons urged people to continue to be vigilant, despite Russia failing in its bid to take the capital in March.
As the war rages on in the east, the head of general staff said in a statement: “Russian occupiers continue to carry out air and missile attacks on civilian objects on the territory of Ukraine. Do not ignore air raid signals.”
Zelensky also told representatives of 60 countries at a virtual summit about Crimea, that Ukraine would drive Russian forces out of the territory, which it seized in 2014.
Liz Truss, the frontrunner in the Conservative leadership election who is likely to be the next prime minister, wrote a piece in the Telegraph to mark the anniversary. She said under her tenure, Britain would continue to “expose Vladimir Putin’s lies.”
