After over 2.5 years of war, Ukrainian cemeteries are dotted with national flags, marking the graves of fallen soldiers alongside portraits and wreaths.
Memorials to the deceased have emerged in city centers across Ukraine, both officially organized and spontaneous. Kyiv hosts several, including prominent sites on Independence Square (Maidan Nezalezhnosti) and nearby Mykhailivska Square. These locations draw comrades of the fallen, with one soldier remarking, “For me, the war has names.”
“Those faces… I knew them. We shared frontline duty. I’m honored to have known them and to continue their mission,” she reflected at a Kyiv memorial.
The soldier defined Ukraine’s victory in clear terms: the full restoration of national borders and holding Russia accountable. For her, these outcomes represent both justice and a lasting resolution to the war.
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