Today, February 24th, marks the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. One year ago today, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion causing horrific suffering and devastation. According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, as of February 21st, 21,293 civilian casualties have been recorded, including 8006 deaths. The true number is likely to be much higher, with millions of people in “potential danger of death“.
CTV News is reporting today that new Canadian aid for Ukraine includes:
4 Leopard 2 tanks
1 Armoured recovery vehicle
5,000 rounds of ammunition
$32 million in support
129 individuals & 63 entities.
As of January 24, the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program has granted approval to 514,020 applications. The program enables individuals from Ukraine who are fleeing the war to apply for swift entry into Canada through a visitor visa, which permits them to reside, work and study in the nation for a duration of three years.
Toronto organizations like Saint Javelin (which proudly states on its Jane Street storefront that it has been officially banned in Russia) are committed to rebuilding Ukraine. Christian Borys, a Canadian journalist who worked in Ukraine between 2014 and 2019, originally started Saint Javelin on his own, hoping to raise $500. However, within a year, the team had expanded to include 15 members, and they had managed to sell more than 200,000 goods, resulting in over $2 million in donations to Ukraine.