People in Tokyo rallied on Monday to commemorate three years since Russia started its invasion of Ukraine. They called for an early end to the hostilities.



A civic group staged the gathering in front of Shibuya Station, with participants including Ukrainians living in Japan and their supporters.



Demonstrators held up placards and the Ukrainian national flag. One message read, "Don't forget Ukraine."



A Ukrainian member of the group, Ihor Ihnateliev, said he did not imagine the war would still be continuing this year when he was at a rally marking the second anniversary of the start of the invasion last year.



He said the future of Ukraine is growing more uncertain than last year. He appealed to each person around the world to think about how to halt the war.



Another Ukrainian, Iryna Derhachova, said almost three years have passed since she and her mother escaped from their home country to Japan.



She said her aging mother and many other evacuees need support as they are having difficulty finding work due to language barriers.



She called on the international community, including Japan, to work to realize a ceasefire at an early date.