Independence Day, which on Wednesday marked the 31st anniversary of when the country voted to break with the Soviet Union, has been a more somber affair this year, with officials attending memorials and issuing warnings that Moscow could carry out missile attacks against Ukrainian cities.
While previous years have been marked by celebrations and parades, Wednesday’s commemoration comes exactly six months after Russia’s invasion of the country began.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres described the six-month anniversary as a “sad and tragic milestone” during a meeting of the UN security council in New York
Speaking at the meeting, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia’s “insane aggression” is causing “artificial hunger” around the world, due to blockages to Ukraine’s important grain exports.
Earlier, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a surprise visit to Kyiv to mark Independence Day and said Ukraine “can and will win” its war with Russia
Meeting with Zelensky, Johnson pledged the UK will provide an additional £54m worth of military aid to Ukraine
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has confirmed $3bn (£2.5bn) of fresh US military support for Ukraine – the biggest American package yet – which will help Ukraine to acquire weaponry and equipment
And in Russia, leading dissident Yevgeny Roizman was arrested by police on charges of “discrediting the Russian army”..
