Words and images by Melisa Numan

Crowds gathered in Cardiff city centre on Saturday for an anti war rally marking the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and to show solidarity with Ukrainians affected by the troubles.

Stand with Ukraine Cardiff, an organisation of people living in the city who are against the war in Ukraine, organised the event. The group was created in April 2022 and has held protests in the city every week since. The group continues to get larger, now being joined by those who fled their homes and have come to Wales as their sanctuary. The atmosphere on Saturday was heavy, as people listened to heart-wrenching stories about ordinary people, neighbour’s and friends whom they will never see again. Saturday marked one year of loss, one year of tears and one year of immense resilience and strength.

The UNHCR this month records 8,087,952 refugees from Ukraine across Europe, and according to Statista, around 161,000 have found refuge in the UK. Around 3,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Wales as part of the super sponsor scheme, with the majority in temporary accommodation. Only around 500 have managed to move into longer-term accommodation in Wales.

Stand With Ukraine Cardiff, can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cardiffstandwithukraine/