Petition To Zelenskyy To Launch Day Of Honoring Defenders Of Mariupol On May 20 Gains Votes Necessary For Consideration

An electronic petition to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to launch the Day of Honoring the Defenders of Mariupol on May 20 gained the 25,000 votes necessary for consideration.

This is evidenced by data on the President's website, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

The corresponding petition was registered on March 23, and as of the morning of March 27, it received more than 26,000 votes.

Its initiator is Kateryna Prokopenko - public activist, volunteer, head of the Association of Families of Defenders of Azovstal public organization and the Foundation for Support of Families of Defenders of Azovstal charitable foundation, wife of the commander of the Azov Separate Special Forces Unit, Hero of Ukraine Denys Prokopenko.

"The defense of Mariupol is a unique operation that has no comparisons in the modern history of Ukraine. The battle for Mariupol has become a symbol of indestructibility for Ukrainians. Thanks to the loyalty and bravery, the soldiers of the Mariupol garrison managed to delay a large group of enemy forces in the south of the country, thereby slowing the onslaught in other directions and preventing the enemy from fully developing success in other areas of the front... According to the order of the Supreme Commander, in order to preserve the life of the defenders, the legendary defense of the city was terminated on May 20, 2022," the petition says.

The author notes that hundreds of Mariupol defenders gave their lives, hundreds more wounded and prisoners are in captivity.

Prokopenko emphasizes that with their desperate actions they deserve this memorable day.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in March, a petition to Zelenskyy to create the National Pantheon of Heroes of Ukraine in the Askoldova Grave Park in Kyiv gained the votes necessary for consideration.