Russia's military aggression in the Donbas devastated and empoverished Ukrainian territories under the Russian occupation (Image: Novosti Segodnia)
The current conflict between Russia and the West provide an opportunity to create an International Day of Memory of the Victims of Russian Aggression in order to be “an eternal reminder to Russians both now and future generations that they must take responsibility before history for themselves and their leaders,” a Kyiv commentator says.
The conflict between Russia, on the one hand, and Ukraine and the rest of the world, on the other, is not simply a military one but rather is about symbols. Moscow has understood this with its “hybrid” war approach; it is time, the Ukrainian commentator writing under the name Setevoy Orakul says, to turn the tables on it.
Taken by Andrew Kravchenko, these stark black-and-white photos of the memorial service on February 1 in Kyiv for Ukrainian soldiers killed in and around Avdiyivka on January 29-30 convey the grief of all Ukrainians and their respect and gratitude before these Heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
Taken by Andrew Kravchenko, these stark black-and-white photos of the memorial service on February 1 in Kyiv for Ukrainian soldiers killed in and around Avdiyivka on January 29-30 convey the grief of all Ukrainians and their respect and gratitude before these Heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
Taken by Andrew Kravchenko, these stark black-and-white photos of the memorial service on February 1 in Kyiv for Ukrainian soldiers killed in and around Avdiyivka on January 29-30 convey the grief of all Ukrainians and their respect and gratitude before these Heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
Taken by Andrew Kravchenko, these stark black-and-white photos of the memorial service on February 1 in Kyiv for Ukrainian soldiers killed in and around Avdiyivka on January 29-30 convey the grief of all Ukrainians and their respect and gratitude before these Heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
Taken by Andrew Kravchenko, these stark black-and-white photos of the memorial service on February 1 in Kyiv for Ukrainian soldiers killed in and around Avdiyivka on January 29-30 convey the grief of all Ukrainians and their respect and gratitude before these Heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
Taken by Andrew Kravchenko, these stark black-and-white photos of the memorial service on February 1 in Kyiv for Ukrainian soldiers killed in and around Avdiyivka on January 29-30 convey the grief of all Ukrainians and their respect and gratitude before these Heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
Taken by Andrew Kravchenko, these stark black-and-white photos of the memorial service on February 1 in Kyiv for Ukrainian soldiers killed in and around Avdiyivka on January 29-30 convey the grief of all Ukrainians and their respect and gratitude before these Heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
Taken by Andrew Kravchenko, these stark black-and-white photos of the memorial service on February 1 in Kyiv for Ukrainian soldiers killed in and around Avdiyivka on January 29-30 convey the grief of all Ukrainians and their respect and gratitude before these Heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
Taken by Andrew Kravchenko, these stark black-and-white photos of the memorial service on February 1 in Kyiv for Ukrainian soldiers killed in and around Avdiyivka on January 29-30 convey the grief of all Ukrainians and their respect and gratitude before these Heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
Taken by Andrew Kravchenko, these stark black-and-white photos of the memorial service on February 1 in Kyiv for Ukrainian soldiers killed in and around Avdiyivka on January 29-30 convey the grief of all Ukrainians and their respect and gratitude before these Heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
Taken by Andrew Kravchenko, these stark black-and-white photos of the memorial service on February 1 in Kyiv for Ukrainian soldiers killed in and around Avdiyivka on January 29-30 convey the grief of all Ukrainians and their respect and gratitude before these Heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
Taken by Andrew Kravchenko, these stark black-and-white photos of the memorial service on February 1 in Kyiv for Ukrainian soldiers killed in and around Avdiyivka on January 29-30 convey the grief of all Ukrainians and their respect and gratitude before these Heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
Taken by Andrew Kravchenko, these stark black-and-white photos of the memorial service on February 1 in Kyiv for Ukrainian soldiers killed in and around Avdiyivka on January 29-30 convey the grief of all Ukrainians and their respect and gratitude before these Heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
Taken by Andrew Kravchenko, these stark black-and-white photos of the memorial service on February 1 in Kyiv for Ukrainian soldiers killed in and around Avdiyivka on January 29-30 convey the grief of all Ukrainians and their respect and gratitude before these Heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
Taken by Andrew Kravchenko, these stark black-and-white photos of the memorial service on February 1 in Kyiv for Ukrainian soldiers killed in and around Avdiyivka on January 29-30 convey the grief of all Ukrainians and their respect and gratitude before these Heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
Taken by Andrew Kravchenko, these stark black-and-white photos of the memorial service on February 1 in Kyiv for Ukrainian soldiers killed in and around Avdiyivka on January 29-30 convey the grief of all Ukrainians and their respect and gratitude before these Heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
Taken by Andrew Kravchenko, these stark black-and-white photos of the memorial service on February 1 in Kyiv for Ukrainian soldiers killed in and around Avdiyivka on January 29-30 convey the grief of all Ukrainians and their respect and gratitude before these Heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
Rest in Peace, Heroes: All of them were killed by Russian-backed militants in Avdiivka fighting on January 29 – February 1, 2017 defending Ukraine from the Russian military aggression.
A funeral for unidentified soldiers killed in action while liberating the Donbas region of Ukraine from the hybrid army of the Russian Federation. The funeral was held in the town of Kushugum, Zaphorizhze oblast, on October 1, 2014.
Yustinka, daughter of Victor Gurnyak killed defending Ukraine from the Russian invasion. (Image: social media)
A five-year Ukrainian girl received a bravery medal in place of her border guard father killed in action defending Ukraine from Russian invasion. 8 May, 2015, Kirovohrad, Ukraine. (Image: Social media)
“The establishment of [such a day],” he writes in Delovaya Stolitsa, “would have enormous symbolic meaning both as a day for grieving and as opportunity to remind the world that Putin has not ended the war against our country.”
Ukraine should establish this day as a national one immediately, the commentator continues, and then work to secure its recognition at the international level much as it has done with the Holodomor. At present, “about 20 countries” recognize that this was an act of genocide “by the totalitarian Stalinist regime;” and more will in the future.
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Tags: Donbas war (2014-present), Russia, Russia's confrontation with the West, Russia's hybrid war, Russian military, Russian military crimes, Russo-Ukrainian War (2014-present), victims
