Houston mayor severs ties with sister city in Russia on 1-year anniversary of Russia invasion of Ukraine

HOUSTON - Friday marks one year since Russia invaded Ukraine and people around the world are coming together in hopes that Russia will end the war. 

A number of Houstonians rallied in the Galleria area. Many of the Houston residents gathering also have relatives in Ukraine. They say they are grateful for those who are standing up for Ukraine, such as Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner who has now suspended Houston’s Sister City relationship with Tyumen, Russia and partnership with Moscow. 

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"You just can’t treat things as business as usual. So it was important for the city of Houston to sever its relationship with our sister city," Turner said.

Even as the rally to end the war was underway with protestors waving signs and the Ukraine flag, a long group of trail riders rode by reminding us, on this day that’s one of the happiest for Houstonians, which is the start of rodeo season, this is still a dark day in Ukraine, with 365 days and counting since Russia began war there. 

Luba Dub, who started the group HTX for Ukraine, still has a sister there. 

"And she and her children are having to live with the day-to-day missile warnings, the air sirens. They have to seek shelter. Unfortunately, they have to seek shelter as if they would be bombed any minute," Dub explains.  

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Another woman in the crowd said, "I was in a supermarket and there was a shoot out happening nearby. It was extremely scary, but we could really hear the noise of the gunfire. It was very close to us," says Yana Artukhoba, who recently escaped her war torn homeland with her two children. 

"There were people behind trees with guns, there were tanks on the road. I mean, the war was all around us," Artukhoba explains.  

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is in Europe attending a summit to help stop Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

"They have been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, but what they’re doing to the children has been determined to be genocide. This is a cruel, cruel assessment. These children have been subject to sexual assault, abduction and execution," Jackson Lee said.   

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"The humanitarian violations that have occurred. The number of people, innocent civilians, that have lost their lives, their homes, apartments have been bombed. President Putin is just steadily moving in the wrong direction," Turner added.  

Houston City Hall was lit up Thursday night in support of Ukraine and Turner says it was an easy decision to cut ties with Houston’s sister city in Russia.  

"Our voice, as a city may be small in comparison to the let’s say the country or other nations, but nonetheless it is a voice that we have. When you see this type of evil being perpetuated, you just can’t stand on the shoulders, and do nothing," the mayor says. 

The group rallied there on the W. Loop feeder in front of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation building.