Russian invasion: Hundreds brave rain in Sheffield to stand in solidarity with Ukraine

Sheffield Town Hall witnessed another round of protests against the invasion last night, with several posters reading 'Russia out of Ukraine' and individuals holding Ukraine's blue and yellow flag.

Ukrainian Lena Mandrik, who moved to Sheffield from Kyiv three years ago, was among the protesters.

In her speech, she said that she has felt helpless in light of what has occurred to her family back home as more people have been left continually under threat since the invasion.

She said: “A 16-year-old died in the hands of the Russian troops and many other children have become victims.

“I'm sorry I'm a bit emotional right now but want to thank you for all the support, including the Russians here and please continue doing so.

“Now, what we need is the leaders to ban all dirty money in Britain and other countries to follow suit, so we can beat all that.”

Chris Kitchen, the general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), also addressed the crowd. He recently returned from Kyiv, which has devolved into a warzone.

He said Russia 'cannot accept the fact' that Ukraine is a sovereign nation which determines its own future.

He then called on the people to continue supporting the people of Ukraine and keep pressuring the Putin regime to stop the war against innocent civilians.

‘Accept Ukrainians with open arms’

Sheffield Labour councillor Ben Miskell also urged the UK government to accept the fleeing Ukrainians who seek refuge in the country 'with open arms'.

He said: “In this city of sanctuary, we will welcome you with open arms...it's not a school day today as Ukrainian children living in bomb shelters clinging on to life, learning how to defend themselves to face the onslaught of Putin's soldiers. This war must stop.”

The Labour MPs, who were not present at the protest but had their statement read out, said the Government must remove all visa restrictions on Ukrainians.

Immigration minister Kevin Foster said in a now-deleted tweet that Ukrainians may qualify for the seasonal worker scheme, which allows people to come to the UK for up to six months to work in jobs such as fruit picking.

They may also apply for a family visa if they already have a relative in the UK.

“We are appalled by the government's willingness to offer help to those fleeing war but asking them to apply for seasonal fruit visas. The government must remove these barriers,” the statement read.

Russia launched a 'full-scale invasion' of Ukraine last week, with scores reportedly killed as weapons strikes hit cities across the country, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes.

Russian troops assaulted Ukraine on numerous fronts from Belarus, Russia, and Crimea – which Russia annexed in 2014 – early on Thursday after air attacks and missile strikes as Russian President Vladimir Putin defied international condemnation and fresh sanctions by launching Europe's greatest ground war in decades.

On Monday, the Ukrainian president's office stated talks have begun with the goal of achieving an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of the Russian military.

However, Russia has been more circumspect in its approach to the discussions, with the Kremlin hesitating to remark on Moscow's objective.

Ukraine war: Hundreds gather in Sheffield city centre to protest against invasion by Putin's Russia