It's been 500 days since Russia invaded Ukraine - on February 24, 2022. The grim milestone comes as the death toll continues to rise.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, in a piece for the Manchester Evening News, has a simple message - 'we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes'...
Russia's war against Ukraine brings new horrors with each day that passes. Last week, 13 people were killed in Kramatorsk after a Russian missile struck a pizza restaurant.
Among the dead were twin sisters Yuliya and Anna Aksenchenko, aged just 14. Following the news of their deaths, the local council's education department said: "Russian missiles stopped the beating of the hearts of two angels."
Award-winning writer Victoria Amelina, who had left her family to bravely document purported war crimes in her country, also died after succumbing to the injuries she sustained in the attack.
For 500 days Ukrainians have suffered under the Russian dictator's drones, artillery and ground forces.
For us in the UK, we have a responsibility to ensure Putin's illegal and immoral invasion never becomes normal to us. The sense of outrage we should all feel has to be utilised to support Ukrainians.
In Greater Manchester, the solidarity with those in Ukraine, and those Ukrainians who are now living in our city-region, is clear.
Back in May, Liverpool hosted the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine. The event sent a defiant message to Russia - showcasing the solidarity of the links between the UK and Ukraine.
A couple of days before Eurovision took place, I was pleased to have the opportunity to welcome Mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi, to Greater Manchester, alongside the Leader of Manchester City Council, Councillor Bev Craig.
Mayor Sadovyi spent time meeting members of our city-region’s Ukrainian community, with Cheetham Hill being home to the Ukrainian Cultural Centre ‘Dnipro’ – one of the oldest Ukrainian communities in the UK. The meeting reinforced our city-region’s close ties with Lviv, especially in Rochdale which has been twinned with Lviv since 1992.
We have agreed to collaborate with the people of Lviv to aid with transforming the city into a hub of recovery for Ukraine, using our contacts, networks and expertise to support with this. Greater Manchester is also a member of the Resilient Cities Network and we have recently joined leaders from across the world to collaborate on how we can assist Ukraine with rebuilding infrastructure and services such as water, transportation and housing.
This comes as UK Med, a charity based in Stockport that Greater Manchester can be so proud of, continue to deliver medical aid across Ukraine. The charity's lifesaving work includes setting up health clinics across the country for people uprooted by the conflict, and surgical field hospitals to treat those on the frontline.
UK-Med also recently facilitated the visit of a team of Ukrainian surgeons to the UK where they learned complex, life-saving techniques from NHS surgeons. These skills will be vital as the conflict rages on.
UK-Med relies on public donations. If you can, please support their work in Ukraine at uk-med.org.
As we forge closer links with Ukrainian cities, our communities in Greater Manchester continue to show their support to Ukrainians. Not long after Russia's invasion Ukrainian centres across the city-region were overwhelmed with the number of items donated to help refugees arriving overseas and those arriving in Greater Manchester.
Since then, 2,401 Ukrainians have come to live with Greater Manchester households under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, and many more have arrived through their family ties.
We can be proud of the welcome offered to these new arrivals, seeking sanctuary and safety in our communities. Alongside hosts, local authority teams and charities like the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain have worked tirelessly to support smooth transitions into schools, jobs, English language classes and sometimes, settled homes.
This work has gone beyond basic needs too – initiatives like Rochdale's six-week circus arts course for Ukrainian children recognise the importance of fun and have enabled children to make new connections in the borough.
Ukrainian nationals arriving in Greater Manchester also still can access Metrolink, rail, for free and the majority of bus and coach services also remain free of charge when they arrive in the UK.
The offer is in place for 48 hours on arriving in the UK to help refugees get to where they need to be.
As we continue to support Ukraine, we know the last 500 days has wrought devastation on the country that will last for many years to come.
The UK government last week hosted the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London which has raised billions to help rebuild Ukraine. I’m proud that our country has taken a leadership role in its support for Ukraine, and on this the UK government will always have my full support.
Greater Manchester will always remain on the right side of history, democracy and will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Slava Ukraïni!
