A Ukrainian-Russian student involved in the protests at the University of Warwick has called on the public not to spread Russian hatred in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.

French studies student Alisa Kononchuk was one of more than 200 students who protested against Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the University of Warwick this February.

Held on the ground floor of the new faculty of arts building, students sat on the steps holding 'free Ukraine' placards and waving Ukrainian flags.

Protestors chanted 'stop the war' as they demanded the university released a statement on the ongoing invasion.

Kononchuk, who is involved with the Polish society and Russian speaking society at the university, was one of the main organisers.

The protest was held in the ground floor of the new faculty of arts building (Image via Alisa Kononchuk)

Her aunt and two cousins managed to leave Kyiv to the Western part of Ukraine shortly after the invasion and she said it has been "very stressful" having relatives there, with the "sanctions affecting me financially".

She said the idea of a protest came from someone in the Polish speaking society who proposed having a "safe space and organising something in solidarity".

It was decided she would be one of the speakers at the protest, using friends and mutual friends to try and effectively spread the message.

Speaking afterwards Kononchuk said she was "really happy" with the turnout and found it "very, very touching that so many people were there to support the same cause".

She said the main aims of the protest were to "spread awareness" alogside "telling people how to correctly speak about the situation", for example not calling "it a conflict but instead a Russian invasion of Ukraine".

Kononchuk also wanted to reinforce the message not to spread "Russian hate because obviously Russian citizens do not want this, this is all the fault of one person who Russian citizens didn't even choose in the first place".

She also said she was generally "very happy" that Russia was being held accountable by nations, with "people going out to protest, people posting things online [and] spreading awareness" proving "meaningful".

However, she is pessimistic about whether it will be enough to stop Vladimir Putin, saying she feels "it's just very hard to stop him".

The best thing people can do, she says, is "donating to Ukranian refugees".

She also says to "double-check sources" and not shared things that are "too graphic".

Kononchuk is "not sure" whether another protest will take place as it's extremely "mentally draining" and a "sore spot" to speak about it again and "open that wound".

Following the protest, vice-chancellor Stuart Croft released a statement on 28 February, saying: "I would ask all in our community to stand with Ukraine in these terrible times.

"And, with those Russians including our own students who are not responsible for this war, many of whom bravely speak out against it - thousands of whom have been arrested by the Russian State for the crime of peaceful protest."