Birmingham residents rally in support of Ukraine
More than 50 people gathered Saturday afternoon at Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham to show support for Ukraine, which was invaded Thursday by Russia. The crowd was a mixture of Ukrainians, Russians, and others.
They asked for Russia to stop its invasion, and if that doesn’t happen, then support from other countries to assist Ukraine.
It’s a sentiment that’s been echoed throughout the U.S. and around the world.
“Sanctions are helpful. They’ll work, but they’re slow,” said Ian Cabacov. “We need immediate response from the United States, United Nations, European Union – all the countries that condemn war. [Ukraine] needs ammunition, weapons … we need blockade of Russia.”
Cabacov, a Ukrainian native, attended the rally with his wife and daughter. He said his cousin still lives there and she’s safe, for now.
The rally’s organizer, Ilya Blokh, said he wanted to show the Ukrainian people that Birmingham stands with them. Blokh moved from Russia to Birmingham in 1991 around the same time the USSR dissolved. His mom is Russian and his dad is Ukrainian.
“It feels shameful and scary,” said Blokh. “I want to be really clear that a lot of Russian people do not support this. This is not done by our people. This is done by the piece of shit president … prime minister.”
Like Blokh, many of the people at the rally still have friends and family in Ukraine. Nataliya Russo said her family had to evacuate from their home and her niece’s apartment building in Kyiv was bombed.
“I called my friends, they’re in the basement,” Russo said. “Now it’s [been] three days, and they can’t get out. They’re really scared. They’re crying. I said ‘how bad it is?’ They said ‘it’s really bad. It’s bombing so close. It’s really, really bad.'”
Meanwhile, some Ukrainians were able to escape including Viktoria Burttram’s sister, who is pregnant.
“[My family] lives 45 minutes from the border with Poland,” said Burttram. “Just because there were so many people, it took them 46 hours to get across the border.”
But she said a lot of her friends stayed to fight, as Ukrainians face a new reality of war.
Our top global photo stories from 2025: Fearless women, solo polar bear, healing soups
These stunning photos include a polar bear in a Chinese zoo, a teen in Zambia facing an uncertain future, Mongolian kids watching TV in a tent, a chef prepping a bowl of good-for-you soup.
ADHD drugs may work indirectly to boost attention
Drugs like Adderall and Ritalin appear to help children with ADHD by activating brain areas involved in alertness and motivation.
Russia attacks Kyiv, killing 1 and wounding many ahead of Ukraine-US talks
Russia attacked Ukraine's capital with missiles and drones early Saturday morning, killing one and wounding over 20 people a day before talks between Ukraine and the U.S., local authorities said.
Myanmar is set to hold phased elections. Here’s why they’re being called a ‘sham’
Myanmar's military rulers are holding a general election in phases starting Dec. 28 amid the country's civil war. The head of the U.N. says the vote will be anything but free and fair.
Perry Bamonte, guitarist and keyboardist for The Cure, dies at 65
Perry Archangelo Bamonte, longtime guitarist and keyboardist for the influential goth band The Cure, has died. He was 65. The band announced his death on their official website on Friday.
Judge to hold hearing on whether Kilmar Abrego Garcia is being vindictively prosecuted
A federal judge this week canceled the trial of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and scheduled a hearing on whether the prosecution is being vindictive in pursuing a human smuggling case against him.
