An estimated 5,000 participants took to the streets for the largest Kyiv Pride march since Russia invaded in 2022. Walking under the slogan ‘Our families are part of Ukraine,’ activists, international diplomats, and a prominent contingent of LGBTQ-plus military veterans marched to demand legal civil partnerships.
The issue has taken on life-or-death urgency during the conflict, as same-sex partners of fallen or wounded soldiers still lack basic state rights, such as medical decision-making or inheritance. The demonstration was cut short after just two hours when an air raid alert flashed across the capital. Police and organizers ushered the crowd into nearby metro station bomb shelters as explosions from air defense systems echoed above. No major injuries were reported.
