Pink Floyd releases first new song in nearly 30 years to support Ukraine

The British rock band Pink Floyd has reunited after nearly 30 years and released a new song Friday to support the people of Ukraine displaced by Russia’s war on their country.

The band posted the music video for the song ‘Hey, Hey, Rise Up’ on its official YouTube account which features guitarist and singer David Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason with vocals from Andriy Khlyvnyuk of BoomBox, one of Ukraine’s biggest bands.

Roger Waters, who left Pink Floyd in 1985, was not involved.

The song is available for streaming and to download. All proceeds from the song will go to the Ukraine Humanitarian Relief Fund.

The music video, which quickly went viral on social media, opens with a message noting that Ukrainian singer Andriy Khlyvnyuk ended his US tour and returned home to Kyiv “to defend his country” after Russia launched its war against Ukraine on Feb. 24.

“Now Pink Floyd has joined with Andriy to support his message of resistance,” it says.

Gilmour was quoted on Pink Floyd’s official Twitter account as saying: "We, like so many, have been feeling the fury and the frustration of this vile act of an independent, peaceful democratic country being invaded and having its people murdered by one of the world's major powers.”

The Russia-Ukraine war, which started Feb. 24, has drawn international outrage, with the European Union, US and UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1,611 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,227 injured, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be far higher.

More than 4.3 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with millions more internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.