'The Armed Forces Are Our Shield And Hope': Ukrainians Mark Armed Forces Day

As Ukraine marked Armed Forces Day on December 6, it highlighted the grim reality of the ongoing war with Russia. Although Ukraine does not officially publish the number of its fallen soldiers, it is thought to be in the tens of thousands since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. For many Ukrainians, it was a sad day of visiting cemeteries and an occasion to think about the meaning of the armed forces in their daily lives.