Thousands of Czechs marked second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Thousands of Czechs marked the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine with commemorative events, marches, rallies and fundraisers taking place all around the country on Saturday.

In Prague, thousands of people gathered on Old Town Square on Saturday afternoon to support the Ukrainian struggle against Russian aggression.

President Petr Pavel held an opening speech, in which he said the goal of the war was not to defeat Russia, but to get it out of Ukraine and allow it to develop freely. According to the president, the West has no choice but to support Ukraine if it doesn’t want Vladimir Putin's vision of the world to prevail.

Apart from thanking the volunteers, Mr. Pavel also expressed pride that Czechia was among the first to start helping Ukraine with arms and ammunition supplies. The participants of the event observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the war in Ukraine

The day culminated with a concert at Prague’s Forum Karlín, which got underway after 5 p.m. The proceeds of the concert will be used for the purchase of medical equipment for the Ukrainian army.

Commemorative events and meetings were also held in other Czech towns and cities, including Brno, Olomouc, Pilsen, Litoměřice and České Budějovice.