Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the pro-European protests on Kiev’s Maidan Square ten years ago as the “first victory” in the war against Russia. It was a “victory over indifference, courage, revolution and dignity,” Zelenskyi said on Tuesday on the anniversary of the pro-Western protest movement.
The pro-European protests in Ukraine started in late 2013 on Maidan Square in central Kiev. They lasted several months and were crushed by the then Russia-friendly state power. More than a hundred people died. The demonstrations eventually led to the fall of the government of Kremlin-loyal President Viktor Yanukovych. As a result, Russian authorities occupied the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed a short time later. Finally, parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions followed suit.
Here you see a message from Von der Leyen.
Von der Leyen: Striving for freedom
Zelensky has been president of Ukraine since May 2019. Together with his wife Olena and Moldovan President Maia Sandu, he commemorated the killed demonstrators and placed lanterns at the monument. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was also in Kiev on Tuesday and laid flowers at the memorial site. “The cold winter nights of Euromaidan changed Europe forever,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on the short message service X to mark the anniversary. Ukraine has been pursuing freedom with dignity and pride for ten years. Today it is clearer than ever that the country’s future lies in the EU.
President of the EU Parliament Roberta Metsola made a similar statement. Ukraine not only defends its own territory, but also the EU and European values.
In February 2022, the war against Russia broke out. There were also fatalities on the anniversary of the pro-European protests: two people were killed and six others injured in rocket attacks on the eastern Donetsk region on Tuesday, according to Ukrainian information. Rockets hit a hospital in the town of Selydove and a coal mine, the report said. “Two hospital buildings were damaged and six civilians were injured. There may be victims under the rubble, searches continue,” Ukrainian Interior Minister Ilhor Klymenko said on the Telegram platform.
The advance stopped on the eastern bank of the Dnipro
Just like last winter, the Ukrainian government expects attacks on its cities and the country’s energy and heat supply infrastructure in the coming months. After the Russian attacks last winter, thousands of people were stuck in the cold and darkness for a long time. Since then, the military has received more air defense systems from its Western allies, including Germany.
The Russian Navy has stopped an advance of Ukrainian troops on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River and on islands at the river’s mouth in southern Ukraine, according to the Defense Ministry in Moscow. The ministry released a video showing naval troops firing several weapons. The outcome of the fighting was not clear.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
