Ukrainian community in New Zealand rallies in Auckland to support Ukraine

AUCKLAND – The Ukrainian community in New Zealand — Mahi For Ukraine — held a rally in Auckland to show support for Ukraine and call on the world to remember Russia’s war crimes.

“In June, Russia launched a record-breaking 5337 kamikaze drones against Ukraine, resulting in hundreds of civilian casualties,” the organization wrote in a statement.

They said that New Zealand cannot remain on the sidelines while a democracy fights for its survival. 

“This should make our voices louder, not quieter,” the organization said.

The streets of Auckland were filled with Ukraine’s national blue-and-yellow flags, as well as Crimean Tatar flags.

Earlier, Kate Turska, the head of Mahi for Ukraine, said that the Kremlin is using artificial intelligence as a powerful tool in today’s world of crisis and post-truth. Russia is producing deepfakes, fake accounts, and fake news sites to push Kremlin-backed narratives.

Turska called this part and parcel a large-scale disinformation campaign aimed at eroding trust in facts — one that is already influencing elections in democratic countries.