Minutes silence held one year on from Russias invasion of Ukraine

The UK has held a national minute’s silence on the first anniversary of Russia invading Ukraine.

MPs stood in silence in the Commons chamber to mark a year since the invasion of Ukraine began.

The one-minute silence halted Commons proceedings at 11am during a Friday sitting, when a small group of backbench MPs usually attend to consider private member’s bills.

Several ministers and shadow ministers joined the cohort of backbench Labour and Conservative MPs in the Commons for the occasion.

Deputy Commons Speaker Dame Rosie Winterton said “Slava Ukraini” – meaning “Glory to Ukraine” in the Ukrainian language – as the silence came to an end.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 last year, beginning with an attempted lightning assault on the capital Kyiv.

In the year since, the UK has remained a prominent supporter of Ukraine, sending the eastern European country weapons and other supplies alongside other Western allies.

Parliament has been at the heart of several important events during the course of the war, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressing MPs and peers in Westminster Hall earlier this month, when he called on the UK to provide fighter jets to help his country’s ongoing struggle.

Last year, he addressed MPs in the Commons chamber via video link, and echoed Churchill’s Second World War speeches.

In the early days of the war, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko received a rare standing ovation from MPs as he sat in the gallery watching a debate.

Outside the Commons chamber, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak led the national silence from Downing Street.

Published: 24/02/2023 by Radio NewsHub