Today we celebrate the most important holiday for our country - Independence Day.

And today exactly six months have passed since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. In these darkest times, we saw the unity, courage and courage of Ukrainians who united against the evil that came to our land.

This year, Ukrainians are celebrating Independence Day in unusual conditions. For security reasons, there will be no mass celebrations on this day. But the government has approved a plan of events to celebrate the national holiday.

An exhibition of destroyed Russian equipment was held on Khreschatyk Street in Kyiv for Independence Day. On August 24, iconic places of the capital will be illuminated with the colors of the national flag, including the "Motherland-Motherland" moment. And in Sofia of Kyiv, a festive prayer for Ukraine will be held, in which representatives of all churches will take part.

A number of festive events will also be held in Lviv, including exhibitions, excursions and concerts, but there will be no mass celebrations.

Also, Ukrainians all over the world are called to join THE FREE WORLD GATHERING action: to go to the central streets of their cities and form a chain of unity.

What restrictions were introduced on this day?

In connection with the martial law, the traditional day off in honor of the state holiday has been canceled. This year, August 24 is a working day, but employees are encouraged to work remotely if possible. The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine urges Ukrainians to be careful during the holidays and not to ignore air warning signals.

Mass events on the occasion of Independence Day are banned in a number of regions of Ukraine. In particular, it refers to Kyiv region, Kharkiv region, Dnipropetrovsk region, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Chernivtsi regions.

In Kyiv, public transport hours were also reduced - from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. A long curfew was introduced in Kharkiv region, which began at 7:00 p.m. on August 23 and will end at 7:00 a.m. on August 25.

Despite the difficult times, every Ukrainian believes in victory.

Congratulations on the holiday! Glory to Ukraine!