Overview
- Ukrainians marked the Armed Forces Day established by a 1993 parliamentary resolution tied to the 1991 law creating the army.
- The commemoration comes in the fourth year of the full‑scale war; Ukraine ranks 20th in Global Firepower's index, with Russia second.
- Commander‑in‑Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said the army is proceeding "by sweat and blood" toward defeating the invaders and preserving independence.
- He cited battlefield milestones including the defense of Kyiv, the stand in Mariupol, the Kharkiv counteroffensive, the liberation of Kherson's right bank and Snake Island, Black Sea operations, and the Kursk offensive.
- Syrskyi emphasized drones, missiles, and domestically produced long‑range systems used for deep strikes inside Russia, and he apologized to families of fallen service members, pledging their sacrifices will not be in vain.