Calgarians rally in support of Ukraine amid Russian invasion

A blue and yellow flag has been raised at Calgary City Hallas members of the city's Ukrainian communityclosely monitor growing aggression and do what they can to support loved ones back home.

The City of Calgary raised the Ukrainian flag on Thursday.

"We stand in support of the Ukrainian community in our city, and people who have close ties to their homeland," Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek tweeted.

Ukrainian forces battled Russian invaders on three sides Thursday after Moscow mounted an assault by land, sea and air in the biggest attack on a European state since the Second World War, causing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.

Igor Kyryliuk organized a group of demonstrators in Calgary's downtown. He says his dad and grandparents are in Ukraine.

"I can't keep quiet, I have to do whatever I can," Kyryliuk said.

Kyryliuk says he's angry, and is urging people to donate as much as they can.

Paul Lazarev, a Russian citizen who has lived in Calgary since 2019, joined the group of demonstrators to show support and solidarity. He says he wants the Ukrainian community to know he stands with them.

"In Odessa, Kyiv, I've always been welcomed like I'm one of their own. No one cares that I speak Russian, or I'm from Russia, this is complete insanity," Lazarev said.

"I have a hard time composing myself feeling completely powerless. This is why I'm here."

Speaking to the Calgary Eyeopeneron Wednesday, Andrew Hladyshevsky, a member of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Alberta, asked Calgarians to think of what they would do if they were in a similar situation.

"You could imagine what's going through parents' minds, you can imagine what's going through couples' minds on what to do," Hladyshevsky said.

"What would you do, where would you go that's literally the minute-to-minute existence basically for 40 million people right now."

He says the organization is setting up supply lines in case people need U.S. dollars, and it's working with not-for-profit groups to evacuate civilians.

"It is a surreal wakeup call for every person in the West, in Calgary, to say what can we do?"

On Wednesday, the province said it would contribute $1 million to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress to help co-ordinate and deliver humanitarian aid.

Calgary's Humanitarian Aid Response Team (HART) says it's preparing to support potential refugees a number which the organization said could exceed two million.

HART is ready to help the refugees exitthrough co-operation with churches in Ukraine.