Philadelphia rallies support for Ukraine as Russian invasion continues

PHILADELPHIA - Ukraine immigrants were among a crowd of Philadelphians who gathered near City Hall on Friday to rally support for Ukraine as it continues to fight a Russian invasion from Russia. 

Russian troops bore down on Ukraine’s capital Friday while the president grimly predicted that the conflict would soon intensify, and fears of wider war in Europe triggered new international efforts to make Moscow stop, including direct sanctions on President Vladimir Putin.

Amid reports of hundreds of casualties — including shelling that sliced through a Kyiv apartment building and pummeled bridges and schools — there also were growing signs that Russia may be seeking to overthrow Ukraine’s government, which U.S. officials have described as Putin’s ultimate objective. It would be his boldest effort yet to redraw the world map and revive Moscow’s Cold War-era influence.

An outpouring of support for Ukraine has been seen worldwide, with many American cities holding peace marches, vigils and prayer services. Philadelphia, the birthplace of America's independence, continued its call for peace on Friday.

"Our Ukrainians, every person is going to stand up against Putin propaganda, Putin regime, nobody wants to be over there with Russians," Irina Shostak said. "We are our own country, our own nation, and we want to be free from Putin."

Shostak, like others in the crowd at City Hall on Friday, is a Ukraine-American with friends and loved ones still overseas and in harms way. 

"My family and my friends over there are really scared," Shostak said. "Some of them already surrounded by Russians they ready to give up because they really don’t know how they can escape from Russians because they are attacking orphanages, kindergartens, people trying to flee with their kids to the border of Poland."

The Russian military continued its advance, laying claim Friday to the southern Ukraine city of Melitopol. Still, it was unclear in the fog of war how much of Ukraine is still under Ukrainian control and how much or little Russian forces have seized.

The U.S. and other global powers slapped ever-tougher sanctions on Russia as the invasion reverberated through the world’s economy and energy supplies, threatening to further hit ordinary households. U.N. officials said millions could flee Ukraine. Sports leagues moved to punish Russia and even the popular Eurovision song contest banned it from the May finals in Italy.

"He doesn’t just want part of Ukraine, he actually wants the whole country of Ukraine," Hallyna Kolesnikov said. "That sick bastard have to pay for everything and I wish he would be dead right now! Sorry, that’s how I feel."

It was unclear how many people overall had died. Ukrainian officials reported at least 137 deaths on their side from the first full day of fighting and claimed hundreds on the Russian one. Russian authorities released no casualty figures.

U.N. officials reported 25 civilian deaths, mostly from shelling and airstrikes, and said that 100,000 people were believed to have left their homes. They estimate that up to 4 million could flee if the fighting escalates.

The Associated Press contributed to this post

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