A crowd of several thousand people attended the Day of the Defenders march in Kyiv on Oct. 14, which commemorated the sacrifices of those who fought for the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine.
The march started at Taras Shevchenko Park and proceeded to move around the streets of central Kyiv, culminating at the President’s Office.
According to media reports, the march passed off peacefully.
The action was attended by civilians and veterans who defended the nation against Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2014 and continues to wage war. Also present were members of right-wing groups such as Svoboda, the National Corps, and the Right Sector.
Media outlets also report that lawmakers from former President Petro Poroshenko’s European Solidarity party, which has 27 seats in parliament, attended the march.
The Day of the Defenders was declared a national holiday in 2014 by then-President Poroshenko, replacing the Day of the Defenders of the Motherland, a Soviet-era holiday which was celebrated on Feb. 23 and was replaced with the new holiday to distance the commemoration from Russia.
