The British government has unveiled a monument to honor Ukrainian athletes who have lost their lives in the Russian invasion.
The 3D display featuring the number 487 was set up in Parliament Square in London on Wednesday, two days before the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics.
It refers to the number of Ukrainian athletes killed since the start of the invasion in 2022, as of July 8. The installation is blue and yellow — the colors of Ukraine’s national flag.
Around it, sporting items, including badminton rackets and skateboards, have been placed. They are black and represent the sports the deceased played.
The 487 victims reportedly include an athlete who competed in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and a rhythmic gymnast who perished aged 11.
Oksana Rakhra, a Ukrainian who represented her country at the 2008 Beijing Games in wrestling, came to the display site. She said many Ukrainian athletes are still on the front line of the war. She said 314 sports facilities have been ruined in Ukraine, and that athletes only have a few places where they can train for the Games.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy paid tribute to the fallen athletes and said the British government must support Ukraine’s fight for freedom.