A NEW Friendship Twinning Partnership has been formed between Ross-on-Wye and the Ukrainian Town of Ovruch.

A formal ceremony linking the two towns will be held on Wednesday, March 25 so that the official Twinning Friendship Agreement between Ross-on-Wye Town Council and Ovruch, Ukraine will be formally signed and put into place

This historic signing marks the beginning of a long and supportive partnership between our two towns built on solidarity, collaboration and a shared commitment to recovery and resilience.

The partnership aims to promote cultural understanding, friendship and the celebration of shared heritage between the communities of Ross-on-Wye and Ovruch.

The Mayor of Ross-on-Wye, Cllr Linden Delves, said: “I am delighted to be signing the twinning friendship agreement between Ross and Ovruch in Ukraine.

“The agreement will strengthen the cultural ties between our towns and demonstrates our support for, and solidarity with, the people of Ovruch.”

The Mayor of Ross-on-Wye, Cllr Linden Delves and the Chairman of Ovruch Ivan Korud Yaroslavovych, will take part in an online signing ceremony to commemorate this special occasion.

Today, Ovruch is recovering from the Russian invasion in 2022 and its ongoing consequences.

Ovruch citizens first elected Ivan Korud as mayor in 2015. and following the reform of local self-government in Ukraine, the Ovruch United Territorial Community was established.

In addition to Ovruch itself, it included 90 more villages and the population doubled. The new community has since re-elected Ivan Korud as its community head.

From the first day of the war the mayor was actively involved in the defence of the region, mobilising the local territorial defence, which together with the Armed Forces, border guards and police repulsed attempts by the Russians to capture Ovruch.

The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky awarded the head of the Ovruch community with the Order of Courage of the Third Degree for the defence of the region.