Today is Ukraine's Independence Day. This photo is from the Obozrevatel:
Below is a translation of an article in UNIAN by Ukrainian serviceman Igor Lutsenko:
"Ukraine's independence has been a source of pain for Russia for many years
For many years, the entire world, including Ukraine, viewed the celebration of August 24, 1991, as a childish holiday. Naive and yet routine. Just another day off – with flags, balloons, embroidered shirts, and circle dances.
But it turned out that Russia perceived August 24, 1991 as the day war was declared on it.
And from then on she clearly interpreted it as a day of rebellion, as a vile blow to her heart from external enemies who took advantage of her “temporary dizziness.”
Every summer in August, Russians experience hell. It wasn't the hot days, but our children's circle dances, our white embroidered shirts and flags with balloons that hurt them. They perceived it all as an insult, as aggression, as gunshots.
And remember how contemptuously they pronounced the very name "Independence" for decades? How they tried to cripple it with their pronunciation every time?
And they chose the perfect opposite day of the year—February 24—as the day of our end. The antipodal day when they would end our, as they thought, childish circle dance. With this date, they finally showed how much pain they had suffered.
February 24th was supposed to be a day of triumph for Moscow, the restoration of its power, the resuscitation of the "empire." But did we know this all along? Did we truly believe it, even after the first phase of the 2014–2015 war? Were we living in a somewhat childish, naive universe?
Did we take seriously the thousands of horrific threats that poured out for decades from the pages of Russian fringe publications and horrible novels, and then through social media? Not from the highest offices, but from the lips of the diverse Russian people, so sincere and forthright?
Did we ever think that there wasn't a single adult left on this planet who wouldn't allow, who would forbid, for example, one day to take and surround the large city of Mariupol and almost destroy everything inside?
But August will definitely prevail over February, fire over ice. With the smoke from the last fires, the chances of victory for the army of August are increasing, and there is more and more dizziness in the land of February.
And although the stakes are ever higher, the mathematical average won't win in a battle of these numbers. Behind these numbers lie other formulas.
Through Independence Day, Victory Day over Russia can be seen."
