People around the world gather to mark one year since Russian invasion of Ukraine

LISBON, Portugal — 

World landmarks were lighted up successful nan colors of Ukraine’s nationalist emblem arsenic group astir nan globe threw their support down nan state connected Friday, nan first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The Empire State Building, Eiffel Tower and Sydney Opera House gleamed successful yellowish and bluish successful intense remembrance of nan Feb. 24, 2022, outbreak of nan war, which has affected economies worldwide, bringing shortages of energy, atom and fertilizer.

The day drew group to bid rallies and different events successful nan Middle East, Asia and Latin America, arsenic good arsenic Europe.

Among nan memorials, stunts and ceremonies, a wrecked Russian vessel was put connected show successful Berlin, a bloody barroom pinch a skull connected apical of it was near successful a Belgrade street, Ukraine’s emblem was held aloft amid tears successful nan sizzling Bangkok sun, and Japanese monks prayed for nan dead.

The rusting T-72 vessel was placed extracurricular nan salient Russian Embassy building connected nan German capital’s Unter den Linden boulevard.

The vessel was struck successful nan Kyiv region successful nan early stages of nan war. It was taken to Berlin by a backstage group that said it was connected indebtedness from nan Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Military History Museum. Destroyed Russian armor litters parts of Ukraine aft months of battlefield setbacks for nan Kremlin’s forces.

“The full world should spot that location are galore group successful Germany who guidelines down Ukraine, truthful that’s why we’re putting nan Russians’ scrap vessel successful beforehand of their door,” said Wieland Giebel of nan group Berlin Story, who was 1 of nan exhibit’s organizers.

In Serbia, whose authorities has maintained friends relations pinch Russia and has refused to subordinate Western sanctions designed to punish Moscow for nan invasion, constabulary moved successful to extremity a group of antiwar activists from reaching nan Russian Embassy successful nan capital, Belgrade.

The activists had planned to manus complete a request that Russian President Vladimir Putin beryllium tried connected charges genocide successful Ukraine. They near a barroom pinch reddish icing representing humor and a skull connected apical connected nan pavement adjacent nan embassy.

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stepped extracurricular his agency astatine No. 10 Downing St., joining Ukraine’s ambassador and Ukrainian soldiers being trained successful nan United Kingdom for a infinitesimal of soundlessness successful commemoration of those killed successful nan fighting.

King Charles III published a connection lauding nan “remarkable courageousness and resilience” of nan Ukrainian people.

A young pianist who had fled Ukraine pinch her mother erstwhile nan warfare collapsed retired gave a solo capacity astatine a shopping promenade successful nan metropolis of Liverpool successful northwest England.

Alisa Bushuieva, 13, wore a accepted Ukrainian floral headband and dress arsenic she played her country’s nationalist anthem.

At a normal halfway successful Utrecht, Netherlands, astir 2,000 Ukrainian refugees gathered to perceive by video nexus a reside by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and successful Brussels hundreds waved nan Ukrainian emblem and chanted “Slava Ukraini!” (Glory to Ukraine).

People placed candles connected nan steps of Helsinki Cathedral astatine a memorial for Ukraine warfare victims, and quotations astir bid printed connected jute bags were displayed successful Rome arsenic portion of an installation by Italian creator Gianfranco Meggiato titled “The Meeting: The Symbol of Peace.”

In Warsaw, thousands of Poles, Ukrainians and Belarusians protested extracurricular nan Russian Embassy, holding nationalist flags and signs pinch nan names of Ukrainians killed successful nan war.

Marchers successful Bulgaria’s superior of Sofia waved Ukrainian flags and carried banners reference “Ukraine will win” and “No to Russian terror.” They were joined by immoderate of nan 50,000 Ukrainian refugees who person recovered shelter successful Bulgaria complete nan past year.

Moscow planned nary typical events Friday; astir Russians had nan time disconnected for an extended nationalist holiday. Police successful immoderate areas visited activists’ homes to pass them against staging demonstrations.

Ukrainians surviving successful Brazil protested extracurricular nan Russian Consulate successful Sao Paulo, pinch 1 motion comparing Putin to Adolf Hitler.

In Lebanon, Ukrainians rallied and chanted slogans successful Beirut, holding signs reading, “Stand beardown pinch Ukraine” and “No terrorism.” Ukrainians and their supporters besides marked nan day successful Tel Aviv.

In Georgia, thousands of group marched done nan streets of Tbilisi, nan country’s capital, chanting “Glory to Ukraine! Glory to nan heroes!”

“I deliberation that Georgians should support Ukraine, because Ukraine is fighting for us, too. Ukraine’s triumph intends our victory,” said Tsira Zhvania, a student who joined nan rally successful Tbilisi. “Unlike nan Georgian government, Georgian group should guidelines pinch nan group of Ukraine.”

Dozens of South Koreans and Ukrainian expatriates gathered extracurricular nan Russian Embassy successful Seoul, holding candles and banners demanding nan contiguous withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.

About 1,000 group protested successful Tokyo’s Hibiya Park, holding banners that said, “Russia, extremity invading Ukraine.” Outside nan city’s United Nations University, demonstrators held a candlelight vigil, and astatine Zenkoji temple successful Nagano successful cardinal Japan, astir 30 Buddhist monks prayed for those killed successful nan war.

People besides placed flowers extracurricular nan Ukrainian consulate successful Bali, Indonesia, successful tribute to those killed.

Ukrainians surviving successful Thailand gathered extracurricular their embassy successful Bangkok. About 50 people, galore wearing their nationalist colors, sang nan nationalist anthem arsenic an embassy charismatic raised nan country’s flag. Several wept erstwhile nan embassy’s complaint d’affaires urged them successful a reside to enactment strong.

Iliana Martsenyak, primitively from nan eastbound Ukrainian metropolis of Kharkiv, which has been pummeled by Russian barrages, wiped tears from her eyes arsenic she said of nan anniversary.

“Honestly, I cannot find immoderate words to picture really maine and each azygous Ukrainian feels coming because of this perfectly irrational, sadistic and atrocious warfare that has been brought to our land,” she said.

The group marched to a adjacent metropolis park, holding Ukrainian flags and protestation signs aloft. They stopped astatine Lumpini Park’s library, mostly successful silence, arsenic a mother embraced her young girl and others stared resolutely into nan distance.

Associated Press journalists astir nan world contributed to this report.