SACRAMENTO — It’s been four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and 12 years since the illegal annexation of Crimea.

Roughly 20,000 Ukrainian refugees have resettled in the Sacramento area since the invasion.

“Nobody believed that this could happen,” said Ukrainian resident Olga Noshyn, with nonprofit Sunflower Society.

The war has become Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II. Years of fierce military resistance and billions of dollars in Western aid have helped prevent Russia from seizing additional Ukrainian territory.

“We must be just as determined and strong as we were when the invasion began, the threat hasn’t become smaller,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on this anniversary.

Missouri-born Marine vet TJ joined the fight against Russian aggression one month into the war.

“I grew up on a farm, and American values are all about freedom and, you know, fighting off the bully so it was kind of a no-brainer,” TJ told Fox40 just 12 miles from the frontline.

On this harrowing anniversary, he says there’s no time for sadness — all efforts are focused on eliminating the Russian threat.

“They continue to take people’s land, take people’s lives, and it’s just not right morally, no matter how you look at it,” TJ continues. “I just want people to stand with us and to continue supporting us here, politics aside, you know, this is, it’s just the human thing to do.”

Organizers of a rally in support of Ukraine on the West Steps of the California Capitol shared this sentiment.

“They are fighting for democracy globally; the world cannot afford for Ukraine to lose,” said Nancy Fisher, co-founder of Yolo for Ukraine. “If Ukraine loses, the march will continue.”

“It’s sad day on the on the one hand, but on the other hand, this day shows how strong Ukrainian people are, how strong the nation is,” Noshyn said.

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