Day of Remembrance for Defenders of Ukraine: addresses from Zelenskyy and top commanders
Photo: Day of Remembrance for the Defenders of Ukraine is observed (Getty Images)
Today, August 29, in Ukraine, the memory of defenders, men and women, who died for the freedom and independence of the state is honored. On this day, the Ukrainian military and representatives of the authorities expressed words of gratitude and condolences.
RBC-Ukraine gathered separate addresses.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that every year on August 29, Ukrainians honor the memory of all fallen warriors – defenders of Ukraine, men and women, who died in battles for the sake of the state and independent Ukraine.
"Since 2014, this battle for Ukraine’s right to live has been ongoing. Since 2022, Ukrainians have been defending themselves in a full-scale war. This is an extraordinarily long and difficult path of bravery. And we do not forget thanks to whom Ukraine is preserved," he emphasized.
The President of Ukraine paid tribute to all who stood up for the defense of the country and honored the memory of those who died in the struggle for its freedom.
"Eternal glory to all who stood for the defense of Ukraine! Eternal memory to everyone who died in the struggle for the sake of Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine!" he said.
The head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, joined in the day of remembrance.
"The Ilovaisk tragedy is forever imprinted in the collective memory of the Ukrainian people. In the fields of the Donetsk region, volunteers, patriots who in the period of uncertainty took up arms to defend the state from Russian invaders, gave their lives for the freedom of Ukraine," he noted.
Budanov stressed that it was in Ilovaisk that Ukrainian volunteers first encountered regular Russian troops and showed that the Ukrainian warrior fights to the end.
"History proves – Russians do not change. In Ilovaisk, Russian officers guaranteed a ‘green corridor’, but instead opened fire on retreating columns. Today, when Russians speak about ‘peace’, they continue to kill Ukrainian children in their homes," explained the head of the HUR.
Budanov, in his turn, also paid tribute to all Ukrainian defenders who died in the struggle for independence.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, did not remain aside.
"Today, August 29, we honor the memory of defenders of Ukraine, who gave their lives for our independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity," he said.
According to him, Russian aggression, which began in 2014, daily takes the lives of Ukrainians, and each loss is unspeakable pain for relatives, for brothers and sisters in service, for the whole of Ukraine.
"But the sacrifice of every Ukrainian warrior is not in vain. It forms the foundation on which the freedom of the Ukrainian nation and the independence of our state rest. The memory of heroes reminds us of the price of this freedom and obliges us to be steadfast and strong in defending Ukraine," he noted.
The high-ranking officer emphasized that glory and memory will forever remain with those who gave their lives for Ukraine.
"Eternal glory and eternal memory to all who gave their lives for Ukraine. Their names are forever inscribed in the history of Ukraine. Their feat is forever imprinted in the chronicle of our independence," Syrskyi emphasized.
It should be noted that in Ukraine, every year at the end of summer, the Day of Remembrance of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine is marked.
It is worth adding that today, August 29, a Day of Mourning has been declared in Kyiv. In memory of the victims of yesterday’s massive enemy attack on the capital.
More details about what is known about the shelling of the capital – read in the material of RBC-Ukraine.
