Today, Ukraine marks Ukrainian Volunteer Day. More than just a date on the calendar, it is a day to honor those who rose to defend Ukraine during its most challenging times.

In 2014, volunteers were the first to mobilize to defend Ukraine following the start of Russian aggression. Thousands of citizens—many without prior combat experience but driven by a profound sense of responsibility—joined volunteer units, supported the military, and defended Ukrainian territories. Many continue to serve today.

Among them are many people from Crimea. Since 2014, they have been active in combat, volunteering, and various security and defense units. For many, this fight is deeply personal, rooted in the desire to reclaim their homes.

One such volunteer is a Crimean Tatar with the call sign “Sem.” He volunteered to defend Ukraine immediately following the full-scale invasion.

“Sem” explained that even before 2022, he knew a full-scale Russian invasion was inevitable. He joined the Defense Forces in May 2022 and fought in the Bakhmut and Kharkiv regions. After being wounded and undergoing rehabilitation, he returned to service. Having spent three years in a combat unit, he now serves in a rear unit due to health reasons. For him, this struggle is inextricably linked to Crimea—the place he longs to return to after the peninsula’s de-occupation.

“I serve today because it is a matter of principle for me that all Ukrainian territories are liberated. Crimea is our native land. We must return it so that Crimean Tatars can live there freely once again and our culture can flourish.”

Volunteers include women as well, such as 24-year-old Crimean Tatar Karina Muzhdabaieva, call sign “Ihtiandra.”

Born and raised in the Kherson region near the administrative border with Crimea, Karina has deep family roots on the peninsula. Her great-grandparents and grandmother lived there until the 1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatar people, when they were forcibly moved to Uzbekistan. It took decades for the family to return to their land.

Karina began her police service in 2019. In 2023, after living under occupation, she volunteered for the “Liut” (Fury) assault brigade. Since 2025, she has served in the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

“For me, the liberation of Crimea is about more than restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity. It is about justice, the memory of my family who survived deportation, and the right to live freely on our own land. I believe that Henichesk and Crimea will surely return home to Ukraine.”

It is also vital to honor the fallen. One such hero is Oleksandr Tkachenko, born in Sevastopol. He began his service in the Marines in 2013. Following the occupation of his native Crimea, he moved to Mykolaiv and fought in eastern Ukraine. After completing his contract, he moved to Irpin, Kyiv region.

During the full-scale invasion, he joined the defense of the Kyiv region. As commander of the first assault platoon of the “Irpin” volunteer company-tactical group, he participated in the city’s deoccupation. He later joined the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). Awarded the Order for Courage, 3rd Class, in 2015, he was posthumously awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd Class.

“He had one dream—to drive the occupiers out of Crimea and return to live in his native Sevastopol,” his wife shared.

There are far more volunteer stories than can be told here. Each one is about a personal choice, responsibility, and the readiness to defend one’s country in its hour of greatest need. On Ukrainian Volunteer Day, we thank everyone who stepped up to defend Ukraine and honor their contribution to the struggle for our state’s freedom and future.