It is Defenders Day in Ukraine today. 6 Ukrainians tell CNN how and why they are observing it this year

Ukrainians descended on Independence Square in Kyiv on Sunday to mark Defenders Day, the holiday honoring the country's veterans and war dead.

The observance has held particular importance in the last two years given Russia's invasion.

This is what some of them had to say:

Kateryna Izotova, originally from Zaporizhzhia, now living in Kyiv

"The war is ongoing in our country, everyone should realize it and not forget about it. We came today to honor the memory of the fallen soldiers. Those who gave their lives for us. My husband and I are volunteers, and it always hurts me when I see those who do not know or just forget about this day. Memorial days like this should not only be once a year, but we should thank our warriors and remember them every day. This day is special for our family because it is the day of our defenders who gave their lives for us to live in peace."

Harry Hryhorian, Kyiv resident

"Today is a day when we honor our soldiers, our heroes. It is important to do it every day ... I believe in Ukraine's victory in this war. This is our country, and Donbas, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia (regions) are Ukraine. And we will win."

Liubov Smirnova, originally from Mariupol

"We are from Mariupol. Our Oleksii was 26 years old. He fought for only two months and died last April at Azovstal (the steel plant where Ukrainian forces held out after the city fell) ... we come here to honor him," she said. "He was such a good guy, we all loved him so much. He only recently got married -- he and his wife lived only a year together, and then he went to war to defend our city. Mariupol is a Russian-speaking city, but everyone defended Ukraine. I believe in our victory, it cannot be otherwise given our fortitude. I also believe we all will soon return home."

Oksana Hrynko, originally from Mariupol

"Today I came here to pay tribute to all our defenders. To show my respect for their feat, my gratitude for everything that those who died in battle did for us. And to show all the support to those who are now defending our homeland and who, I hope, will liberate my home city from the invaders," she said. "Because we need to declare our position, we need to tell the whole world how important every life is for us, because we have already lost so many of them. I believe in victory and in returning home."

Vadym Dzhuvaga, Ukrainian serviceman on the front lines in Donetsk 

"I've been fighting since July 2014, with some breaks. I have not been to Kyiv for almost a year and I came here to honor all the guys who died protecting all of us. This is the duty of every citizen of Ukraine. I have often been asked when the war will end. I always joke: send a letter to the Kremlin, to the Tsar Father, he knows it. The main source of the war is Putin."