March held in Taipei to support Ukraine on anniversary of Russia's invasion

Taipei, Feb. 24 (CNA) Over 200 people, including Taiwanese, Ukrainians and Russians, came together for a march in Taipei on Saturday to express support for Ukraine, as it marked the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of the country this month.

During the march on Saturday, the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, participants, holding Ukrainian flags and a variety of signs, marched together from Daan Park to Liberty Square, chanting slogans to support Ukraine in Mandarin, English and Ukrainian along the way.

Among the marchers was a 31-year-old man who drew attention from others by holding a Russian passport with the words "no war" and "Russians against the war" written on the inside page.

Identifying himself by only his first name, Alex, to avoid repercussions, the Russian man said that he used to travel to Ukraine with the passport, and he specifically wrote those words on the page with Ukrainian stamps, adding that he respects Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"I'm against the war, it's devastating ... it's a crime war," said Alex, who works in the technology industry in Taiwan.

Kristin Hertsiuk, a Ukrainian who joined the march with her Taiwanese boyfriend, told CNA the reason for her participation while holding a cardboard sign that read, "To own a home is a luxury for us."

"We just want to remind everyone today that Ukraine is still at war ... Many people in Ukraine have lost their homes and everything because of the explosions caused by Russia," said the 25-year-old student.

As a Taiwanese, Hertsiuk's boyfriend, Jeremy Huang (黃敬宇), said what happened in Ukraine is "alarming" to Taiwanese people as the country also faces the threat from a big neighboring country China.

"Participating in this march makes us realize that we are living in a relatively fortunate situation, and we will cherish what we have," said the 28-year-old teacher.

After arriving at Liberty Square, the marchers stayed and stood in silence for a minute to pay tribute to Singcyang Diway (Tseng Sheng-guang, 曾聖光), a Taiwanese volunteer soldier who died in November 2022 while fighting for Ukraine.

Alex Khomenko, the organizer of the march and a member of the group Taiwan Stands with Ukraine, expressed gratitude to the Taiwan government and the Taiwanese people for their steadfast support over the past two years while delivering a speech to the marchers.

"There are fewer than 300 of us Ukrainians who live here in Taiwan, but many of us feel a strong connection to the Taiwanese and to their spirit. We are incredibly grateful for all the support we felt here," Khomenko said, adding that Taiwan's government has donated significant resources to Ukraine.

"Private citizens and business leaders have raised money and donated medical and humanitarian supplies, fixed and sent ambulances and fire trucks, and helped in many other ways -- it means so much to us from a country so far away," Khomenko added.

Following a poetry reading session and singing the national anthem of Ukraine together, marchers used marker pens to draw stripes on a big Ukrainian flag as a performance art project to mark the 730 days since the start of the Russian invasion.

"It is just upsetting to know how long it (the war) has been going on," said Daria Nevenglovska, a 10-year-old girl who joined the march and participated in drawing a few stripes on the flag with her father.

When asked about her thoughts on seeing Taiwanese people joining the march, Nevenglovska said that it was "amazing" to have so many people supporting Ukraine, hoping more efforts can be made to help her native land.

"The big or small, it's still helping Ukraine, so just try anything," she said.