The war-torn country commemorates the Day of Defenders of Ukraine. On October 1 at 9:00, Ukrainians stopped on the streets, paying tribute to the brave compatriots who defend their country from the invaders, Ukrainska Pravda website writes.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has congratulated the defenders of Ukraine on their holiday, noting that no one will manage to ‘switch off’ Ukrainian resilience and courage. The video address by the Head of State was filmed at the Golden Gate in Kyiv, a Ukrinform agency has informed.
Zelenskyy in his address to the nation said: "Ukraine will stop for one minute at 9 o'clock sharp as a sign of respect and gratitude to the defenders. The central streets and squares of our cities, transport, all of us, wherever we are, must stop and honor the memory of the fallen heroes and thank all our defenders. This time is a great opportunity to think about what is essential, to recall what is relevant, and to recall another minute. The first minute of the full-scale war. The minute that changed everything. It divided life into 'before' and 'after' on 24 February”.
On July 14, 2023, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine amended the dates of three holidays. Now, Ukraine will officially celebrate Christmas on December 25 (instead of January 7), Statehood Day on July 15 (instead of July 28), and Defenders Day on October 1 (instead of October 14), the Ukrinform agency reports.
Friday is day 585 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
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SOURCE: Ukrinform; IAR; ukrainskapravda.com