Students in Sheffield raised £1,000 to help people struggling with power cuts and the harsh winter months in Ukraine as part of an event to mark the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion.

The University of Sheffield’s Ukrainian Society held a conference to commemorate what was described as “the war that goes on every day” in Ukraine.

Guest speakers from across the UK joined members of the society to educate and bring together students. They celebrated the strength of their people with what secretary Sophia Fesiak described as “an educational and strategic approach”.

The money was raised through a lottery and auction.

Miss Fesiak, said: “We organise this every year, we started in 2024, we’ve organised three of these.

“The point is to spread awareness and for Ukrainian students to find a voice and be able to unite and discuss topics that will shape our future.”

They invited students from cities across the country, including from Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham. There were around 40 guests at the conference, not including the attendees from University of Sheffield.

One of the guest speakers, Vitaliy Kapranov, is a historian who focuses on Ukraine’s forgotten history and the Ukrainian Society held a Q&A session with him.

Another guest speaker, Francis Dearnley, discussed geopolitics with the attendees, talking about the stances of NATO, as well as political leaders, on the war in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Society has approximately 80 members, some of which are former students. The Ukrainian Student Union, an organisation that works with almost every Ukrainian society, has around 5,000 members ‘trying to help their people and their country.’

Sheffield Town Hall flew the Ukrainian flag to commemorate the anniversary, showing their respect for those who are still struggling.

Ukrainians across the country are coping with temperatures as low as -20°C without the luxury of electricity or hot water, whilst many continue to endure bombings and shellings.

Miss Fesiak described her experience as a Ukrainian outside of the country, saying: “You try to find out what’s going on, that your city isn’t completely destroyed or your house is still standing.”

She said: “It shows that the people of the UK haven’t forgotten us which is really important.

“Not all countries do show support. We greatly appreciate it.”

She also suggested the possibility of incorporating a day of silence into Sheffield to commemorate the anniversary.

Working with societies at other universities, Sheffield’s Ukrainian Society raised £10,000 in two months which has been donated to charity to help Ukrainians through the winter by providing mobile charging units.

Miss Fesiak said: “We really hope that people won’t forget about Ukraine and that they’ll keep speaking about it.”

She urges people to ‘post, speak and learn’.

For those who can spare money to support Ukraine, you can donate at www.justgiving.com/page/ukrainian-societies-ecoflow, www.justgiving.com/charity/sunflowermanchester or u24.gov.ua.