Ukrainians observe 'Day of Unity' amid stand-off with Russia

By Talha Yavuz

KRAMATORSK, Ukraine (AA) – Amid an ongoing stand-off with Russia, Ukrainians on Wednesday observed the Day of Unity throughout the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday declared Feb. 16 as the “Day of Unity”.

This came as reports in the US media claimed that President Joe Biden had told the leaders of the Western allies that Russia could attack Ukraine on Feb. 16.

“Today is the day of all of us who live on the right or left of the Dnieper River, in the city or the village,” Zelensky said during a Unity Day event in the capital Kyiv.

In Kramatorsk, an industrial city that fell to pro-Russian separatists in 2014 before the Ukrainian army regained its control, many Ukrainians gathered in Park Yuvileynyy.

Larissa Kostenko, one of the participants, told Anadolu Agency that the event brought the Ukrainians together as a “single fist”, adding that the victory would be theirs.

Natalya, a member of the Ukrainian army, said that today is a symbol of "unity against the enemy" and emphasized that it is very important for the people to show their support for the army.

Tensions between Russia, Ukraine, and the West escalated over the weekend after Western media reports claimed that Moscow could launch an attack on Ukraine on Wednesday.

Moscow recently amassed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine, prompting fears that the Kremlin could be planning another military offensive against its ex-Soviet neighbor.

Russia has denied it is preparing to invade and accused Western countries of undermining its security through NATO’s expansion towards its borders.

* Writing by Gozde Bayar