A VARIETY of events in solidarity with Ukrainians will take place across Scotland today – Thursday 24 March – to mark one month since the Russian invasion.

In Edinburgh, a flash demonstration featuring Ukrainian music and art will be held at The Mound to bring visibility to the plight of Ukrainians, amplify demands from Ukrainian president Zelenskyy made during the emergency Nato summit, and celebrate Ukrainian culture.

The demonstration, organised by Help Ukraine Scotland, also aims to highlight political demands made to the UK Government – such as making it easier for refugees to obtain visas.

One of the organisers of the event, Anna Jakubova said: “Russia is not only a threat to Ukraine. This is about the survival and freedom of other countries too – it is about fighting for all of us in Europe, including the UK, and including Scotland.

“Because the UK Government has a lot of resources and a lot of capacity for accepting refugees, it is very important that Scottish people – and UK residents generally – show their government that they want it to act on the Russian invasion of Ukraine."

Elsewhere, in Glasgow, a Solidarity with Ukraine fundraiser will be taking place at art space The Alchemy Experiment, hosted by the Glasgow branch of the Association of Ukrainians in GB.

The fundraiser will feature spoken word performances by Salvija Stončiūtė and Kasia Tym, a talk by professional psychologist Irina McLean on how to give emotional first aid to yourself and those you are supporting, and attendees will be able to buy art donated by local artists.

All funds raised will be donated to the charity Come Back Alive and Kharkiv based volunteer group Dobro TAK. Dobro TAK delivers food, essentials and medicine to those in Kharkiv who are not able to flee – such as the elderly, people in hospices, orphans, and children with chronic medical conditions.

Organiser Salvija Stončiūtė said: “I can tell you the numbers of how many people have died and how many have had to flee their homes since the invasion began, but often they are interpreted as just that – numbers.

“In reality, every single number is a person with their own dreams, aspirations, plans, families, kids. Someone whose life has been either ended or changed for the worse by a completely unprovoked Russian invasion."

She continues, “A month has passed since the start of this and we have not done enough. Kharkiv has been raised to the ground: with hospitals, schools, shops completely demolished.

“People unable to leave Kharkiv need food, medicine, clothes and water. This is why we are doing this event – to literally send some money to those people so they can live another week.

“For many of us, today is a day of immense tragedy and grief, just like every day has been since the start of this. Some of us have lost our friends and even family members.

“We come together today, to lift each other up and be together in collective resilience."