Happy Defenders of Ukraine Day!
The most valuable thing a person has is life.
Everything we dream of is, in the end, quite simple: to have a family, a home, a job we love, to travel, to watch our children grow up. Simply to live — peacefully and freely, surrounded by the people we love.
But the war has changed our lives. In 2014, we understood that peace must be defended. On 24 February 2022, this became a reality for every one of us.
Since then, the words “honour,” “duty,” “responsibility,” and “defence” have taken on a completely different meaning. For thousands upon thousands of Ukrainians, they have become not just words, but a daily choice. A choice that comes at the cost of health, time, separation from loved ones, and sometimes — one’s own life.
Among those who have stood up to defend Ukraine are Odesa port workers. People who are used to working in all kinds of weather, keeping their word and taking responsibility for their work. In the most difficult times, they have shown that true responsibility does not end when the working day ends. It begins when it comes to our hometown, our country, and the future of our children.
We remember those who did not return.
We thank those who continue to fight.
And above all, today we wish for one thing — for everyone to return home.
To their families. To their children. To those who wait for them every day, love them and believe in them.
May the day come when we no longer have to think about simply getting through each day. When we can once again dream of ordinary things: sharing a morning coffee, having dinner with our families, travelling, and making plans for the future.
Simply about life.
Our life. In a free Ukraine.
Happy Defenders of Ukraine Day!
With respect,
Dmytro Nazarenko
Head of the Odesa Sea Port Authority
