29 August 2025
Day of Remembrance for the Defenders of Ukraine who died fighting for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity: 11th anniversary of the Ilovaisk tragedy
On August 29, Ukraine honors the memory of all fallen defenders of Ukraine. The Ukrainian state established this date in 2019 and dedicated the Day of Remembrance to the tragic events of the Battle of Ilovaisk.
Timeline of events
In 2014, Russia, as usual, resorted to brutal and cynical actions, starting a military conflict in eastern Ukraine.
On August 18, Ukrainian volunteer battalions entered Ilovaisk and took control of part of the city. On the night of August 23-24, 2014, the largest direct invasion of Ukrainian territory by Russian armed forces took place. At that time, Russia was fighting for Ilovaisk, a strategically important location, and therefore threw all its forces into defending the then-occupied city. Ukrainian volunteers faced 3,500 Russian personnel, up to 60 tanks, up to 320 armored personnel carriers (APCs), up to 60 cannons, up to 45 mortars, and 5 anti-tank missile systems — the forces were unequal.
On August 24-25, battalions of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs “Dnipro-1,” “Myrotvorets,” “Svitiaz,” “Kherson,” “Ivano-Frankivsk,” the National Guard “Donbas,” and forces from Sector B were surrounded by Russian armed forces.
As of August 28, the situation was critical. This prompted the Ukrainian side to enter into negotiations with the aggressor state, during which the Russian side promised to provide a so-called “green corridor” for our military personnel to ensure their coordinated and safe exit from the encirclement.
On August 29, at 8:15 a.m., columns of Ukrainian soldiers began an organized movement along a pre-agreed route. After a while, the Russians opened fire and shot unarmed volunteers. The promised “green corridor” turned out to be another lie by the Russians and became a death sentence for most Ukrainian soldiers.
According to official data, during the Ilovaisk operation and the following shooting in the so-called “green corridor”, 366 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, 429 were wounded, and 300 were taken prisoner.
Remembrance Day in the context of today
Last year, on the 10th anniversary of the Ilovaisk tragedy, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi emphasized: “This day will always remind us of the insidiousness and treachery of the Russian aggressor, that any negotiations with terrorists and murderers are deadly dangerous, and that they cannot be trusted”.
Russia continues to openly demonstrate its cynicism to the whole world. Violating a number of agreements, failing to observe the ceasefire during the “ceasefire”, and attempting to occupy more and more Ukrainian territory have become common practice for the occupiers.
Now we do not know the exact number of soldiers who gave their lives defending Ukraine. This hypothetical figure represents an immeasurable loss for the Ukrainian nation, one that we must remember every day. The sacrifices made by soldiers and their families for the lives of each of us can never be forgotten, and it is our duty as a society to become worthy of those who gave their lives defending Ukraine.