The community of Barry Island came together in a powerful display of solidarity to remember the thousands of Ukrainian children who have been forcibly taken from their homeland since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022.
Local residents and supporters created an impressive mountain of donated soft toys at the Barry Island bandstand, with organisers collecting hundreds of cuddly toys, teddy bears, and stuffed animals from generous community members. Despite challenging windy conditions, the event successfully highlighted the plight of approximately 20,000 Ukrainian children who campaigners say have been abducted and transported to Russia.
Robert Curtis, one of the event organisers posting on social media, explained that the initiative aimed to draw attention to what he described as “ethnic cleansing,” with children being separated from their families and forced to learn Russian language and culture. The event was organised by “Barry for Ukraine,” a local support group that has been actively advocating for Ukrainian causes.
The peaceful demonstration included the distribution of petition leaflets urging the Secretary of State for Wales to take stronger action to help secure the return of these children from Russia. The flyers, featuring an image of a child with the Ukrainian flag painted on their face, called on the public to “highlight the plight of the 20,000 Ukrainian children who have been abducted by Putin’s military machine.”
According to the campaign materials, these children “have been torn from their homes, placed in Russian families, forced to abandon their language and culture and forced to enrol in military organisations.” The organisers warned that “their chances of returning home is fading each passing day.”
The event featured Ukrainian flags prominently displayed at the Victorian bandstand, with volunteers wearing Ukrainian-themed clothing including t-shirts decorated with the blue and yellow colours of the Ukrainian flag. Red collection boxes were positioned around the display to gather the donated toys.
International monitoring organisations have documented the scale of this crisis. Ukraine says about 20,000 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territory without the consent of family or guardians since the war began, with Ukraine identifying over 19,500 children who have been forcibly deported to Russia, Belarus, or occupied territories. Only 1,300 of them have been safely brought back so far.
The Barry Island event demonstrates how local Welsh communities continue to show practical support for Ukraine, with organisers thanking everyone who donated soft toys to the cause. The collected toys will likely be distributed to Ukrainian refugee families or sent to Ukraine to provide comfort to children affected by the ongoing conflict.
This grassroots initiative reflects the broader international concern about what Ukraine and many international observers have classified as war crimes. Kyiv calls the abductions a war crime that meets the U.N. treaty definition of genocide.
The “Barry for Ukraine” group expressed gratitude to all community members who supported the initiative, emphasising that the people of Barry and the Vale of Glamorgan “will not forget the missing children or the slaughter of innocent Ukrainian civilians” and reaffirmed their solidarity with Ukraine.
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