President Volodymyr Zelensky presented awards to the families of fallen heroes on Ukraine's Defenders Remembrance Day and emphasized that August 29 is not only a day of honor but also a day of pain for all Ukrainians.
Zelensky said this during a ceremony marking Ukraine's Defenders Remembrance Day, according to Ukrinform.
"August 29 is a very important day, a special day. Today, we honor the memory of the heroes, the fallen heroes of Ukraine, all our defenders, who have been fighting in the full-scale war since 2022 and in the vile war, hybrid war – Russia's war against Ukraine, against the Ukrainian people – since 2014," the head of state emphasized.
He stressed that the blue-and-yellow flags flying over cemeteries across Ukraine represent a wound in the Ukrainian heart that time cannot heal. Likewise, time must not diminish the memory of Ukrainian heroes. An independent Ukraine must carry their memory through the years and centuries.
Zelensky said that respect for Ukrainian heroes and gratitude toward them should be passed down from generation to generation. He emphasized that this should form the basis of respect for Ukraine and its independence. He explained that Ukraine was not simply a status, a fact about a country, or a place on the political map of the world, but rather the dream and life of many people who had fought and sacrificed themselves for the country. He added that these people had wanted Ukraine to become a truly independent, strong, brave and modern state — a country for all its citizens who valued independence.
