Some two dozen Montrealers rallied outside the Russian consulate downtown on Tuesday afternoon, marking four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
As the fighting now enters its fifth year, the rally brought together supporters of Ukraine. Many waved the country’s blue and yellow flag in a show of solidarity, honouring victims and backing Ukraine’s ongoing struggle.
According to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission, 2025 marked the deadliest year in Ukraine since 2022, with roughly 2,500 civilians killed and 12,000 injured – a 31 per cent increase in civilian casualties over 2024.
Meanwhile, since 2022, there have been nearly two million military casualties and tens of thousands of civilian deaths.
According to a report this month from the UN office in Ukraine, 5.9 million Ukrainian civilians have left their home country. At least 300,000 of those relocated to Canada, including 20,000 in Quebec in the Greater Montreal area.
As international peace talks continue, major political and territorial disputes remain unresolved. Given the ongoing attacks on Ukraine, the European Union has said Russia does not appear ready for peace.
Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2014, taking control of Crimea and claiming other parts of the country, before launching its full-scale invasion in 2022.
The U.N. General Assembly has called for an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
At a meeting on Tuesday, it also reiterated its call for the complete exchange of prisoners of war, the release of all unlawfully detained persons, and the return of all internees and of civilians forcibly transferred or deported, including children.
–With files from The Associated Press
