On 24 February 2026, thousands of people took to the streets of Bratislava and Košice to express their solidarity with Ukraine. The date marked four years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country. Just days after the invasion began in 2022, Ukraine submitted its application for European Union membership from a bunker in Kyiv.
In Bratislava, support for Ukraine was also voiced in a diplomatic and cultural setting. Ambassadors from European countries accredited to Slovakia — representing both EU and non-EU member states — gathered at the Lumière Cinema for a commemorative event. The evening was hosted by Sweden’s Ambassador to Austria and Slovakia, Annika Ben David, together with Ukraine’s Ambassador to Slovakia, Myroslav Kastran.
A special guest of the event was European Commissioner for Environment Jessika Roswall, who addressed attendees ahead of a screening of the documentary Can You Hear Me: The Invisible Battles of Ukrainian Military Medics.
The film portrays Ukrainian military medics serving on the front line, capturing not only the realities and intensity of war, but also the profound personal journeys of those who provide life-saving care under extreme conditions.
The Bratislava screening was followed by a discussion with the film’s director and Kyiv Independent video journalist, Olena Zashko; co-producer and war correspondent Francis Farrell; and Sebastian Lindström from the Repower organisation.
Can you hear me
Máte problém s prehrávaním? Nahláste nám chybu v prehrávači.
