SILENCE fell at the University of Essex as students held a vigil for those who have lost their lives in the ongoing Ukrainian conflict.

A million refugees have now fled from Ukraine as Russian tanks and missiles continue to bombard major cities.

Thousands have died and the death toll rises as the aggression from Russian president Vladimir Putin shows no signs of abating.

At the university’s Colchester campus about 50 students stood in unity yesterday to hold a vigil for the lives lost and to offer support to Ukraine and its citizens.

Gazette: Ukrainian vigil at the University of Essex

Students laid flowers as a sign of respect to those who have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict.

There were also speeches some given by Ukrainian students as they shared their emotions to express their love for their country.

Gazette: Ukrainian vigil at the University of Essex

The event was organised by six Student Union societies, the Human Rights Society, Romanian society, Polish society, Lithuanian society, Unicef Aid Society and the U Thant Peacemaker Corps, UTPMC, with the support of Ukrainian students.

Current president of the society Emmanuel Leon, 20, described it as a vigil “in the name of peace, and the victims of the Russian conflict”, to show they “condemn Russian activities”.

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Gazette: Ukrainian vigil at the University of Essex

Co-founder and current secretary of UTPMC, Aneta Jamečná, 22, from Slovakia, said it was important to support the Ukrainian students and give them a voice.

She said: “I felt myself watching the news 24/7 and feeling so hopeless and heartbroken, so just to feel like you’re doing something, even on a very small scale you’re still impacting your community.

“This is really not just about us and our society, lots of societies have helped, and it is more about giving a platform and creating this event for the Ukrainians to give them the space and support they need right now.”

Ukrainian student Valeri Bokun, 22, said: “The support has been really overwhelming and not just today, everyone has been incredibly supportive.

“It is beautiful and just warms my heart.”

Gazette: Ukrainian vigil at the University of Essex

“I have friends there, friends who live other places whose families are in Ukraine.

“My godmother, who just won her battle with cancer, she is in Kyiv.

“I have constant contact, I make them text me every time I see anything is going on, I always have live updates.

“They talk about bombings, how it is scary, the first two days they couldn’t sleep, it is heart-breaking to see how used to it they are already, they sleep through missiles now.”