Commemoration Day for Ukraine's Defenders
On August 29, Ukraine observes Commemoration Day for those who fell in the fight for independence and territorial integrity.
In Odesa, the morning began with honoring the memory of fallen heroes and laying flowers at the Cossack crosses in a military cemetery.
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Commemoration Day for defenders who died for independence was established by the Presidential Decree of Ukraine on August 23, 2019, to immortalize the heroism of soldiers and volunteers who gave their lives for their homeland.
The date, August 29, was chosen deliberately, as it marks 10 years since a significant breakthrough of Ukrainian troops from Russian encirclement during the Russian-Ukrainian war and the Ilovaisk operation, where the heroism of soldiers and volunteers was prominently displayed, resulting in the highest number of Ukrainian casualties.
The sunflower has become the symbol of this day, representing the fields where countless defenders sacrificed their lives for the freedom of our country.
On August 29, we remember not only those lost in the Ilovaisk tragedy but also tens of thousands of fallen defenders since 2014, which has been the greatest trial in our nation's recent history.
