North Okanagan-Shuswap MP Mel Arnold speaks to the crowd at the Vernon rally to support Ukraine on Saturday, Feb. 24 on the second anniversary of the Russian invasion. Also in picture from left to right: Kseniia Rudenko, Ukrainian translator; Andrea Malysh, Ukrainian Canadian Congress Thompson Okanagan Branch president; and Kathy Zozula, the keynote speaker, and UCC TO's branch secretary (photo credit: Nancy Kriger)

By Liam Verster

Russian invasion

‘Devastating to our community’: Vernon rally marks two years of Ukraine’s war with Russia

Feb 26, 2024 | 3:00 PM

A crowd gathered outside Vernon City Hall to mark the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The event, held Saturday, Feb. 24, was called ‘Canada Stands with Ukraine Until Victory,’ with about 50 people on hand, and featuring several speakers.

“Kathy Zozula, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress [Thompson Okanagan] branch secretary, provided a speech on basically what she called ‘silencing the voices’ because she talked about what [Joseph] Stalin did in Holodomor and the forced famine of 1932 and ’33 and [Vladimir] Putin being another Stalin reincarnate,” Andrea Malysh, President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) Thompson Okanagan branch, told Vernon Matters.

“It was very timely, her words, that unfortunately history is repeating itself.”

Left to right: Andrea Malysh, Ukrainian Canadian Congress Thompson Okanagan president; Mel Arnold, North Okanagan-Shuswap MP; Teresa Durning, assistant to MP Mel Arnold; Valerii Derevianets, Vernon newcomer from Ukraine. Valerii is wearing the Ukrainian flag as his brother-in-law is fighting on the frontlines and his unit sent their signatures on the flag, asking for people to pray for them. (photo credit: Nancy Kriger)

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Malysh said she also spoke, as did North Okanagan-Shuswap MP, Mel Arnold, who voiced Canada’s support for Ukraine’s fight against the invading forces.

Malysh told Vernon Matters the conflict has been going on longer than expected, noting the invasion really started with the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and that it has been “devastating to our community, to our family and friends back in Ukraine, and we don’t know what’s going to be happening.”

She added the support from governments and people around the globe is appreciated, but the aid is not being provided fast enough.

“[Ukraine] is running out of ammunition, [Prime Minister Justin Trudeau] is promising a lot of things but not delivering, and they need it now,” Malysh said.

“From what I understand, two years ago when the war started, [Ukraine] started receiving weapons and ammunition and training from outside help and sources. It was like, as I understand, two to one, so two of Russia’s ammunition to the Ukrainian’s one, and now I understand it’s like 10 to one. So things are not looking great.”

She added there is a six-month window to have the supplies delivered to Ukraine in order to turn the tide of the war.

“[That’s] because of the lack of support in getting the ammunition that they need in order to fight,” Malysh explained. “They need it now and various governments are promising things and not getting it to them in the immediate, so that’s going to be a determining factor.”

The president of the local branch of the UCC also said as many as four million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, and some of those refugees have come to Canada.

“I think 220,000 have arrived in Canada, and about 10 per cent of that is in British Columbia, and in our region, [upwards of 3,000] have arrived in the Thompson-Okanagan region. And we thank the community and people for stepping up and helping the people that are arriving,” Malysh told Vernon Matters.

“It’s been very devastating for them and we want to help them settle in and get the help they need to do so.”

She added the local immigration services organizations have “stepped up to the plate” in providing supports to the refugees, such as teaching them English and setting them up with job opportunities.

“It’s been a real community support behind settling in our people in the last two years and I think they’re happy to be here,” Malysh said, but added there has been some challenges with people adapting to the changes.

“There’s a lot of issues to go along with it, a lot of PTSD and other issues. So we did have a meeting, the UCC with Mel Arnold on Thursday (Feb. 22) to ask support in getting some further wellness support, financial support for wellness programs, to help these people with whatever it is that they need to help settle in, whether it’s counselling and daycare and that sort of thing. So we’ll be working on that further now to get the further support they require.”

In addition to calling on the government to provide the promised supports to the Ukrainian forces, Malysh said people could donate through the UCC website to help provide necessary items to both civilians and soldiers, including medical supplies.

“People still need to be gently reminded that the war is going on and they still need help,” Malysh said.