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

There was a sea of yellow and blue outside Sheffield Town Hall, where many people stood draped in Ukrainian flags, their faces painted to show their support for the embattled nation, and holding aloft handmade placards, as defiant chants rang out.

‘Putin out, freedom in’ they shouted in unison, before they switched to more choice language to describe the warmongering Russian president.

The demonstration came three days after Russian troops launched their invasion, with their advance on the capital of Kyiv now seemingly stalling in the face of fierce resistance.

There were many Ukrainians in the crowd but they were joined by people from various other nations keen to show their solidarity, with Polish flags and St George’s crosses also fluttering among the placards.

Among those present was 42-year-old dad-of-two Vasyl Kruk, who grew up in Lviv, near the Polish border, before coming to the UK, where he today lives in Heeley, Sheffield, in 2004.

Addressing the crowd, he said: “Putin expected to win in six hours but we’re now on day four and their troops are already demoralised.”

He told The Star he was heartened by the turnout, having expected to see far fewer people, but the only way to deter Putin would be through resistance.

“We’ve proved we can fight but we need weapons, especially anti-air strike weapons to shield our cities from the bombs,” he said.

"Vladimir Putin has his mind set on war and only power will stop him. We will have to fight, fight, fight until Russia’s soldiers are completely demoralised and no one wants to continue. If we don't stop him he will take over Ukraine and probably won’t stop there.

"Putin thought Russia would come to Ukraine and everyone would say ‘thank you for coming to save us’, but when they came they were met with bullets, not flowers.”

Vasyl told how his mum, dad and brother are in Ukraine and he anxiously awaits news from them each day as they seek shelter in basements during the bombings.

"Before, Russia only targeted strategic sites but now they’re bombing anything they can, even people’s houses,” he said.

The message to the Russian premier was clear from the placards, with messages including ‘Stop Putin’, ‘We must help Ukraine’ and ‘We stand with Ukraine’.

There was also recognition of the growing humanitarian crisis, with more than 360,000 refugees and counting estimated to have left Ukraine already, and international charities issuing an urgent call for donations to help them.

Several banners read ‘Sheffield welcomes refugees’, showing the city is ready to play its part if needed to provide sanctuary to those fleeing the violence.

Despite the strong resistance being shown by the Ukrainian army and its civilians, who have been arming themselves with guns, and the escalating sanctions imposed by the international community, there appears to be no end in sight to the invasion.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss today warned that Putin may be prepared to use ‘the most unsavoury means’ to secure victory in Ukraine and prevent the fall of his regime, amid warnings he could unleash Russia’s arsenal of battlefield nuclear weapons.

Olga Swales, who grew up in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, and came to the UK around 15 years ago, was in the crowd at today’s rally in Sheffield.

"It’s great to see so many people, because moral support is very important,” she said.

"I'm glad that now people know what's happening because the war's been going on for eight years at least and thousands of people have been killed in that time, though obviously not on this scale before.

"My city hasn’t been bombed yet but the Russian troops are arriving at the border and I’m very worried about my family, having already seen what's happening in other cities.

"I knew the invasion was coming but when I woke up that morning, grabbed my phone and got the messages from my friends that it had started, well, you can’t prepare yourself for that.

"So far, the Ukrainian army and the territorial army are performing miracles, and Ukrainians have shown they will resist even if the government collapses. There's no capitulation on the agenda.

"People are prepared for the destruction and deaths because this isn’t what Ukrainians want. If we’re occupied there will be another wave of genocide and because Putin’s so angry about Ukraine’s resistance he will show no mercy. The only way is to fight.”

Another demonstration against the war is due to take place outside Sheffield Town Hall on Monday, February 28, at 6pm.

For more information, including what you can do to support Ukraine, visit ukrainesolidaritycampaign.org.