Enlarge image
Demonstration in Cologne: Several thousand commemorated the victims two years after the start of the war
Photo: Henning Kaiser/dpa
Berlin, Weimar or Aachen: On the second anniversary of the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine, thousands of people across the country took to the streets and showed solidarity with Germany's neighboring country.
In Berlin alone, around 5,000 people gathered at the Brandenburg Gate on Saturday afternoon, according to police.
Many participants had Ukrainian flags with them, others showed their opinions about the war on banners and posters: "Russia is always lying," for example, or "The devil is in the Kremlin."
During his speech at the event, Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) spoke out in favor of further rapid arms deliveries to Ukraine - including the Taurus cruise missile.
He also called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to be held accountable for war crimes.
According to organizers, around 6,000 people came to a demonstration near the cathedral in Cologne, which was also attended by political representatives.
Initially, sirens sounded like those heard at the start of the attack two years ago.
In addition, those who died in the war were remembered with a minute's silence.
According to the police, around 2,000 people demonstrated in Saarbrücken for an end to the war; in Frankfurt am Main, according to the police, around 500 people demonstrated.
There were also demonstrations and rallies on the anniversary of the start of the war in other German cities such as Aachen, Hanover, Potsdam and Kassel, each with three-digit participant numbers, according to the police.
Russia invaded the neighboring country with thousands of soldiers on February 24, 2022.
Since then, tens of thousands of people have been killed or injured, including thousands of civilians in Ukraine.
After more than a year of deadlocked fighting, Moscow is now going on the offensive again, especially in eastern Ukraine - Russia currently controls around a fifth of Ukraine's territory.
spr/dpa