Ukrainian Ambassador: Over 3 thousand Ukrainians fled from the war, sheltered in Albania

Over 3 thousand Ukrainian citizens are currently being accommodated in Albania since the launch of the Russian attack on Ukraine 6 months ago.

Ukrainian Ambassador to Albania Volodimir Shkurov says most of them are determined to return to Ukraine and rebuild their post-war country.

Ukrainian diplomat also praised the assistance the people of Kosovo have provided for Ukraine.

Some six months earlier, few had imagined that the Russian attack on Ukraine would last so long, the less thought Ukrainian resistance would be so strong.

Ukraine's Ambassador to Tirana, Voldymyr Shkurov, expressed pride in the resistance of the Ukrainian people and army to the Russian attack, as well as their sadness over the fact that the war is continuing for such a long period, and that at the end of it, palaces and infrastructure can be rebuilt, but a large number of civilian victims, who are losing their lives, cannot be replaced.

Albania is sheltering over 3 thousand Ukrainians removed from the war, but most of them, Ambassador Shlurov says, are determined to return to Ukraine to rebuild their post-war country.

A special thanks we have for Albania's people, who have gathered various aides, in funds, in medicine, food and other products” says Ambassador Shlurov.

He gave these comments to Voice of America, following the Ukraine Book event at Albania's National Library.

This is Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska initiative, so Ukrainians sheltered in Albania to find books in their own language.

“We have received very strong support from the United States as well as from NATO states, and these assistance and support have affected the performance of war” the Ukrainian ambassador said.

Albania is giving Ukraine enormous political support, according to him, at all state levels; from the president, parliament and prime minister, and until Albania's chairmanship of the UN Council.

Co-operation with Albania's government, he says, continued even in terms of providing ammunition to Ukraine, while Albania has participated in two donor conferences in Lugano and Warsaw.

On the other hand, even though Ukraine has not yet recognised Kosovo, Kosovo citizens have offered much support and support to Ukraine. Here I want to share the political aspect with that humanitarian, and this one really matters in our life” says Ambassador Shcirov.

Organised Ukrainians have also been supported by Tirana City Hall; its chairman is currently in Kiev.

The Albanian capital's municipality has taken over to build a school in the town of Kharkiv after the shellings over the city are over.

In the National Library of Albania, the first books of this initiative have reached history, culture, art of Ukraine, literature by Ukrainian authors, and children's publications.

The project aims to resist the Russian attack in a cultural way too, as Russia is trying to destroy Ukrainian identity by destroying libraries and cultural heritage sites.

According to official data, the Russians destroyed several hundred libraries in Ukraine and over 388 monuments of Ukrainian history, architecture and archaeology. / VOA