Oct. 14 is a special day for Ukrainians. This day, traditionally celebrated as the Orthodox holiday of the Intercession of the Theotokos, in 2015 became the Day of the Defender of Ukraine. Traditionally, it has been the holiday of Ukrainian Cossack warriors (1491-1775); the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA, 1941-1953); and, now, today’s soldiers who have been fighting the Russian invasion of Donbas since 2014.
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Bohdan Ben: 80 years since the foundation of UPA
Activists hold a huge flag of UPA as they take part in the March of Defenders of Ukraine, an event that celebrated the 30th Independence Day anniversary in Kyiv on Aug. 24, 2021.