Months of speculation about a possible invasion served as a prelude to Russiasa国际传媒檚 military attack on Ukraine that brought a rising death toll in the European country through Thursday, and also brought tears to the eyes of people in Victoria.

More than 50 members of the local Ukrainian community gathered outside the B.C. legislature on Feb. 24, less than 24 hours after Russia started its assault on the former Soviet state.

Mascara stained the cheeks of Nataliia Kuksa as she spoke to others who, like her, have strong ties to Ukraine. Her family and friends there awoke at 5 a.m. to the Russian artillery bombardment after they chose to stay in their city to help provide medical help to those in need. Kuksa was up through the night calling everybody back in Ukraine that she could, trying to get them to wake up and prepare by going to get essentials.

The daughter of a Russian mother and Ukrainian father, the Kyiv-born Kuksa has a holistic view of the two countrysa国际传媒檚 relations. She solely blames Russian President Vladimir Putin for the warfare, saying he wants to be tsar of the world.

sa国际传媒淚t is not a war between people or cultures of nations, wesa国际传媒檙e all brothers and sisters, wesa国际传媒檙e all cultures who largely respect each other.sa国际传媒�

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Members of the local Ukrainian community singing outside the B.C. legislature Thursday following Russian military aggression against the country.

sa国际传媒� Victoria News (@VictoriaNews)

Robert Herchak said he, and the sizable Greater Victoria contingent with connections to Ukraine, have family members who are potentially at risk.

sa国际传媒淢any are directly impacted,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 a lot of hurt, a lot of emotional concern right now.sa国际传媒�

Tuesday night saw the first reports of explosions in Ukrainesa国际传媒檚 capital of Kyiv, a city of three million people. That development in the years-long unrest brought feelings of shock, dismay and extreme anxiety over Herchak. He fears things will go back to how they were when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union.

sa国际传媒淭o see a potential revulsion to that is appalling.sa国际传媒�

Fresh rounds of the sanctions Thursday from both the Canadian and U.S. governments likely wonsa国际传媒檛 have an immediate impact on the Russian assault, Herchak said, but he thinks those could affect the long-term operation.

sa国际传媒淚s that enough, I honestly donsa国际传媒檛 know. I think everybody is just waiting to see.sa国际传媒�

Thursdaysa国际传媒檚 solidarity gathering at the legislature was a symbol of freedom Ukrainians still lack, Herchak said, pointing to how theysa国际传媒檙e still subject to Russia warping information. Kuksa said Russian disinformation and propaganda campaigns are impacting her family in that country.

sa国际传媒淭hey still donsa国际传媒檛 believe that other parts of their family is (being) attacked by (the) Russian Federation,sa国际传媒� she said.

She called on the Ukrainian community to show their solidarity from wherever they are in the world and hopes for an announcement of peace in the coming hours. But by calling that sa国际传媒渕agical,sa国际传媒� she hints at its likelihood.

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