Air raid alerts and shelling in Odesa did not stop the "Honor" rally

Odessa and the Odessa region have been under air attack from the Russian Federation for the fifth day in a row, with only brief interruptions. 

On the morning of July 15, a missile struck an apartment building in downtown Odesa, but, as an Intent correspondent discovered, this has not stopped the daily “moment of silence” rallies, which call on people to pause at 9:00 a.m. to honor Ukrainians who have died as a result of Russian aggression.

On July 15, this was particularly relevant because three people were killed and three others were injured as a result of the rocket strike. The event is also intended to commemorate prisoners of war.

For me, it’s very simple. If you have a conscience, you remember and you have to speak out about it.
                                                            Radmila, a participant in the rally.

Event organizerAnastasia Lukashuk noted that participants are taking part in the event to support the families of military personnel. 

This is necessary to honor the culture of remembrance. Because without memory, there will be no future. If we do not remember the names and stories of the people who died for our country, we will easily forget what Russia did and repeat the mistakes we are making now. We must be grateful to the fallen for the fact that we can still flee—even under shelling and rocket fire—but at least we can flee. 

                                                                Anastasia Lukashuk

The “Honor” rallies began in the winter of 2024. At first, we didn’t know we had to get approval from the Regional State Administration, so we held the first three rallies simply by notifying City Hall. They were held twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Then the Regional State Administration delayed approval for a month; it turned out that the city council, the Regional State Administration, and the police weren’t even communicating with each other to resolve these issues. The event involves all vehicles andpedestrianscoming to a halt at 9:00 a.m. during the nationwide minute of silence to honor those who died in the war with Russia. In Odesa, patrol police are assisting with stopping traffic at the event locations.

Кирило Бойко