A crowd of people gathered in a central square in Kyiv on Tuesday to mark the Day of Defenders of Ukraine. The day is held to pay tribute to the country’s soldiers.
Bereaved family members of fallen soldiers were among the attendees. The people observed a minute of silence in the morning at Independence Square. Since the Russian invasion began, people have been placing on the square small national flags bearing the names of soldiers who have been killed. There are now thousands of the flags.
Some people shed tears while holding photos of their loved ones. The boulevard leading to the square was temporarily closed to traffic for the occasion. Some people got out of their cars to offer prayers.
A 21-year-old woman, who lost her father, said she was thinking about some of the nice moments that she had with him. She added that Ukrainians want the war to end as soon as possible, so that no more flags will have to be placed on the square.
A 29-year-old woman, who recently lost her younger brother, said she would like to see an immediate end to the war. She added that the war should be ended in a way that is fair to everyone. She also said that she hopes those who lost their lives will not be forgotten.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave an address to soldiers. He expressed his gratitude and said that Ukraine still exists because of them. He said, “We are standing here, on our land, in our capital, under our flags.”
The Wall Street Journal reported in September that around 80,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the war. Zelenskyy denied the report. But he has not revealed how many soldiers have been killed.