Ukraine war: Rally held in Belfast calls for continued support for country

Crowds have gathered in Belfast to show solidarity with Ukraine five months on from the invasion.

Hundreds of Ukrainians and supporters marched to City Hall chanting "Please support Ukraine".

The Ukrainians in Northern Ireland group and Derry Aid were helping to raise money for supplies to send to the war-torn country.

Nataliya Kobzenko-Bingham said their main message was that the war was not over, and the country needed support.

She is originally from Dnipro, but has lived in Belfast for 12 years.

"The Ukrainian community [wanted] to remind people that the war in Ukraine is not over," she said.

"It's not finished and it's getting worse. The situation is still very dangerous around Ukraine. All cities are at risk of bomb attacks every day.

"My son lives in Dnipro with his wife. My mum is 88 and lives in the Sumy, which is very close to the Russian border, and every day from the Russian side they launch missile attacks.

"Mum being 88, she still has to hide herself in the cellar. It was the same when she was eight years old when the Germans were in. Nobody deserves to have that at that age."

One of the organisers was a Londonderry man, who had been given a medal by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Peter Jennings was delivering a lorry-load of aid to the country when he was surprised by the Ukrainian president.

"We were unloading it and all of a sudden we were surrounded by soldiers and guards and this man came up to me and asked, what are you doing?" Mr Jennings said.

The Waterside man has helped raise lorries for Ukraine 25 times since the start of the invasion and was delighted by the president awarding him with a humanitarian medal on behalf of the Ukrainian government.