Every generation of Ukrainians has had its defenders. From the Cossacks of the Zaporozhian Sich, to the students who stood at Kruty in 1918, to the millions who fought in the Second World War. From poets like Vasyl Stus, who defended Ukrainian language and paid with his life, to the Heavenly Hundred on the Maidan in 2014, and the soldiers, medics and volunteers who defend Ukraine today. Different centuries, different battles, one story of a people who refused to give up their freedom. On Defenders of Ukraine Day, 1 October, we honour them all. Eternal memory to those who gave their lives. Glory to those who defend Ukraine. #DefendersOfUkraine #DefendersDay #Ukraine #UkrainianHistory #Cossacks