Winnipeg rally in support of Ukraine calls for tougher sanctions on Russia

Hundreds of Manitobans showed up at Manitoba's legislature on Sunday to show support for Ukrainians and call for tougher sanctions on Russia.

The crowd clad in blue and yellow chanted "Shame on Putin" and offered up prayers for those who have been killed in the fighting.

This is the third rally hosted by the local chapter of the Ukrainian Congress of Canada since fighting escalated over two weeks ago.

People in attendance say they want Ukraine to stay top of mind for Canadians.

"It's heartbreaking," said Winnipegger Yuriy Hlukh, who has friends fighting in the Ukrainian army.

"It's like a movie or it's like a nightmare. I'm thinking I'm going to wake up, but it's just a nightmare. Because it's 2022 and it's Europe, unfolding a full-scale war that's killing people right and left and they don't care."

Ruslan Yanyshyn attended the rally for his mother, who is still in Ukraine.

"I ask her if she wants to come to Canada and you know what she answers me? She says, "My son, I was born in the war (World War Two). Probably I will die in the war." For me, it sounds terrible, but it's what's happening in Ukraine," he said.

Iryna Tsybukh was also in the crowd.

"This is my duty and honour to support Ukraine now in this difficult time when an aggressor attacks Ukraine for no reason. It's a peaceful country where people want to work and live peacefully," she said.

The rally comes as Russian missiles pounded a military base in western Ukraine on Sunday in an attack that a local official said killed 35 people.

The attack on the facility, which has served as a crucial hub for Ukraine and its allies, is so close to the Polish border, that it raised the spectre that the NATO countries supporting its defense could be drawn into the fight.

To date, the UN says at least 596 civilians have been killed since start of invasion, though the true toll is believed to be much higher.

Meanwhile, millions of people have fled Ukraine for neighbouring countries.

Back in Winnipeg, Ukrainian Congress of Canada board member Myroslava Pidhirnyj wants more to be done to ensure the refugees have safe passage away from the fighting. 

She says the congress is waiting with anticipation for Ottawa to release details for refugees who want to return to Ukraine when the fighting is done, and those who want to stay in Canada permanently.

In the interim, it's crucial allies move quickly to prevent more civilians from dying, she said.

"Are there going to be any chartered flights that are going to bring these people in? Who's going to pay for that? Is the government prepared to pay for that? Because we're talking primarily women and children here," she said.