Standing Firm, Standing United: Ukraine Marks Armed Forces Day
Ukraine on Saturday celebrated Armed Forces Day, honoring service members who have defended the country through more than a decade of Russian aggression and nearly four years of full-scale war.
The Gaze reports this, referring to Ukrinform.
The holiday, established by the Verkhovna Rada in 1993, is observed annually on 6 December – the date in 1991 when Ukraine adopted the Law “On the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”
At the time of independence, Ukraine inherited one of Europe’s largest militaries from the Soviet Union, including nuclear capabilities and strategic aviation. Yet over the next two decades, chronic underfunding, force reductions and political pressure from Moscow weakened the army and obstructed its development.
The turning point came in 2013–2014, following the Revolution of Dignity, Russia’s occupation of Crimea and the outbreak of war in the Donbas. Despite shortages of equipment and the disarray of command structures, Ukrainian soldiers managed to halt Russia’s advance and preserve statehood.
Since then, Ukraine has modernized its training standards, begun upgrading its arsenal and anchored its strategic orientation toward NATO.
This year’s commemoration again takes place under wartime conditions. From the first hours of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukrainian forces mounted a coordinated defence against an army long regarded as one of the world’s strongest.
Today, Ukraine ranks 20th out of 145 countries in the Global Firepower Index, with Russia holding second place – yet the Armed Forces remain the backbone of the country’s survival and resistance.
In an address marking the occasion, Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi said the Armed Forces were advancing toward their goal “with sweat and blood” – to inflict a military defeat on Russia and safeguard Ukraine’s independence.
He described the military as “a mirror of Ukrainian society – united, determined, unbreakable,” and noted that modern Ukrainian soldiers carry forward centuries-old traditions of national defence, from the princely armies and Cossack hosts to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called 6 December “a great day – the day of those who, holding a weapon, demonstrate Ukraine’s strength.”
In a wide-ranging tribute, he emphasized how the war has created a new culture of respect for service members, reflected in murals and memorial portraits across Ukrainian cities.
Each image, he said, carries the story of an individual life transformed by war – from athletes, musicians and artisans to teachers, entrepreneurs and students who chose to defend their country.
Zelenskyy recounted the stories of fallen heroes, stressing that their memory will be passed from generation to generation. He praised the resilience soldiers showed in the early days of the invasion, when many abroad doubted Ukraine would withstand Russia’s attack: “You stood firm. And because of that, Ukraine stands.”
As The Gaze previously reported, Andrii Hnatov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine warns that Russia is entering its most aggressive phase of the war yet – and says the coming months will test the country like never before.
Read also on The Gaze: Five Factors Shaping Ukraine’s Harsh Winter on the Frontlines