Ukrainian ambassador visits N.L. to commemorate liberation of Bucha

William Ping · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 30, 2025 5:21 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

On Sunday, the Ukrainian assemblage successful St. John's marked the 2nd day of the liberation of Bucha with a peculiar work astatine the Basilica. 

The Ukrainian metropolis was nether Russian concern aft the penetration successful 2022. A ample fig of civilians were recovered dormant erstwhile Bucha was liberated aft 33 days.

Yuliya Kovaliv, the Ukraine's Ambassador to Canada, was 1 of the speakers astatine the St. John's event.

"That was I deliberation the archetypal chilling infinitesimal erstwhile the satellite understood that however cruel Russia is," Kovaliv told CBC News connected Sunday, reflecting connected what the day means to her. 

Kovaliv said she spent her archetypal time successful St. John's visiting museums and learning astir the past of Newfoundland and Labrador. She says determination is simply a similarity between this province's relation in World War One and what Ukrainians are presently experiencing successful the warfare with Russia.

"How the brave men and women from Newfoundland and Labrador were protecting their allies successful the First World War. And I deliberation determination is this sentiment of knowing from radical present [on] what is simply a combat for freedom."

Kovaliv's travel to the state is besides a portion of the Embassy to Ukraine's consular ngo to let Ukrainians successful Newfoundland and Labrador with expiring passports to renew their documents and prolong their enactment successful Canada.

She says her sojourn volition see meetings with authorities officials and concern leaders. 

"I'm besides present with the satellite of gratitude for the enactment to each the radical from Newfoundland and Labrador," she said. 

"Ukraine and Canada stock the aforesaid values. We powerfully judge successful democracy, we powerfully judge successful planetary law. We powerfully judge successful state and that is what Ukraine is warring for."

Katarina Gavrilyuk was an organizer of the service. 

She said it was precise meaningful to person the ambassador sojourn St. John's. 

"It's a precise almighty happening and it is important to retrieve to archer the information and proceed to enactment Ukraine," Gavrilyuk said. "We privation bid and justice."

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