Albany offers support to Ukrainian mayor as they rebuild from war

[anvplayer video=”5161278″ station=”998132″]

The mayor of Bucha, Ukraine was in the Capital Region on Monday.

It has been nearly one year since the Russian invasion. Now, cities in the war-torn country are looking for support from American cities to rebuild its democracy. One of those cities is Albany.

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan gathered with the mayor of Bucha to stand in solidarity with the city recovering from the Russian occupation.

Bucha is a suburb of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. Russians took the city as they moved into Kiev and tried to secure a route there. They killed hundreds of civilians last spring in what’s being called the Bucha Massacre.

Mayors in the United States have a special bond and offer mutual support, said Sheehan. She said it’s nice to offer the support of New York’s capital.

“We stand here in solidarity with you, the city of Bucha, and all of Ukraine, and condemn the atrocities committed by Russia in its illegal, unprovoked and inhumane attack on your city and your sovereign nation,” said Sheehan.

This isn’t the first time Albany has reached across the globe with mutual support for a city impacted by war.

Learn about another time it happened, and hear from the mayor of Bucha as he expressed his gratitude to Albany by watching the video of Stella Porters story.