Ukrainians Commemorate Fallen Soldiers on National Defenders Day

Fallen Ukrainian soldiers were commemorated Tuesday on National Defenders Day with a minute of silence and a ceremony in Kyiv's Independence Square.

Hundreds of cars and residents in the capital stopped to observe the silence, while relatives of fallen soldiers stood together with portraits of their lost loved ones.

Kyiv resident Angelina Stashenko stood with portrait of her 30-year-old older brother Denys Stashenko, who was killed in fighting on the frontline in the Donetsk region in May.

"For others, life goes on, but unfortunately for us, it stopped when my brother's heart stopped," she said.

Before Russia's full-scale invasion, Denys worked as a web designer.

In 2022 he joined Ukrainian armed forces and saw some of the toughest action, receiving recognition for his courage.

Denys' mother, Halyna, said she hoped future generations of Ukrainians would experience the freedom her son did not live to see.

"Those dreams that our children dreamed about, that every Ukrainian dreams about, if they could not come true for our children, then let them come true in our future Ukraine," she said.