29/08/2026
August 29 – Day of Remembrance of the Defenders of Ukraine 🇺🇦
🛡️ Today, Ukraine honours the memory of the men and women who gave their lives defending the country’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
🙏 August 29 is forever connected with the tragedy of Ilovaisk in 2014 — one of the darkest moments of russia’s war against Ukraine. Ukrainian forces were surrounded and, despite promises of safe passage, came under attack.
🔥 On August 29 at 8:15 a.m., Ukrainian troops began moving out of the city in organised columns along routes previously agreed upon with the 🇷🇺 side. At first, the Ukrainian columns moved unhindered past Russian fortified positions, but after a short while, the occupiers opened fire, shooting at the columns as they marched.
🛡️ 366 defenders were killed, 429 wounded and around 300 captured, more than 500 went missing. Until February 2022, the Ilovaisk tragedy remained the largest single-day loss suffered by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the history of independent Ukraine.