Protesters paint Ukrainian flag outside Russian embassy in London ahead of war anniversary
An Instragram video showing the Ukraine Solidarity Protest in London today
Protesters have painted the road outside Russia's embassy in London in the colours of the Ukrainian flag ahead of Friday's anniversary of the invasion.
Campaign group 'Led By Donkeys' plastered the road in Kensington with yellow and blue paint.
In a statement they said: "Tomorrow is the first anniversary of Putin’s imperialist invasion of Ukraine, an independent state and a people with every right to self-determination.
"The existence of a massive Ukrainian flag outside his embassy in London will serve to remind him of that."
Police said a number of people were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and obstructing the highway and taken to a West London police station.Latest figures show Ukrainian refugees are still arriving in the UK a year on from the Russian invasion of their homeland.
Around 30,000 Ukrainians have arrived since September, many under the Homes for Ukraine scheme that pairs refugees with host families.
More than £225 million has also been donated to Ukraine fundraisers on GoFundMe since the country was invaded last year, in one of the greatest “outpourings of generosity” ever seen on the platform. The fundraising site said that more than £225,000,000 was contributed from countries around the world since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 2022, forcing millions to flee their homes. The thousands of fundraisers on the site included large-scale projects and individual efforts including a convoy of London taxis sent to the Polish border and the supply of urgent diabetes medication to a young Ukrainian girl. GoFundMe’s international vice-president John Coventry said: “The response we saw from around the world in the days and weeks after the invasion was remarkable. “The outpouring of generosity to the Ukrainian people immediately after the invasion was among the biggest we’ve ever seen on GoFundMe and that has continued throughout the past 12 months.”
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