On July 13, thousands of people marched in the French capital, Paris, to honor the memory of 488 Ukrainian athletes killed in the Russian invasion. The event took place in Paris two weeks before the start of the Olympics (July 26).
The march started at the Place de la Panthéon and ended at the Place Saint-Michel. The marchers, wearing T-shirts with the names of the fallen athletes killed in the defense war with Russia, expressed their grief and condolences to the families of the victims.
488 athletes, including 20 Olympians and gold medalists, have been killed by Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion, the march participants reminded us.
Among the marchers were Ukrainians, French, Georgians, Poles, Lithuanians, and Estonians, as well as representatives of the Syrian and Iranian opposition. United by a common goal, they sought to remind the world of Ukraine’s suffering and draw attention to the crimes committed by Russia, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine wrote.
“Russia killed the Ukrainian athletes who had every opportunity to represent Ukraine in Paris,” stated Matviy Bidnyi, Ukraine’s Minister of Youth and Sports. – “Now, the murdered Ukrainian athletes have become part of the Heavenly Team, which is forever with us.”
Among the deceased athletes are Maksym Galinichev (boxing), Ivan Bidnyak and Yegor Kigitov (shooting), Stanislav Gulenkov (judo), and Oleksandr Peleshenko (weightlifting). These athletes had every chance to participate in the Olympic Games in Paris.
The march featured speeches by representatives of the French authorities and the Ukrainian community in France. Volodymyr Kogutyak, Vice President of the Ukrainian World Congress, emphasized the importance of international support for Ukraine.
“We reiterate the call for peace and justice that unites us,” he said.
François Béchieau, Deputy Mayor of the 19th arrondissement of Paris, called for the complete ban of Russian athletes from the Olympic Games.
This march was another sad reminder that Russia’s war against Ukraine continues and takes lives every day. Thanks to the help of Western allies, in particular France, Ukraine is able to repel Russian attacks, as the participants recalled.
The event was organized by the Ukrainian World Congress and the Union of Ukrainians in France.
Picture: the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine
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