On February 20, 2026, a meeting of Donetsk region youth took place in Dnipro, dedicated to the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the National Day of Prayer. The event brought together graduates of basic training courses on national resistance.
Liliya Zolkina, Head of the Department of Family, Youth and Mass Events of National and Patriotic Education of the Regional State Administration, addressed the participants with a welcoming speech. She emphasized that in war conditions, mastering the skills of tactical medicine, mine safety, the ability to distinguish enemy disinformation and withstand a psychological blow are vital for every citizen.
The main part of the meeting took place in the format of a frank dialogue. The participants of the event discussed their own motivation and psychological resilience. The young people shared what inspired them to study, and how clear algorithms of action helped them master fear, replacing panic with cold-blooded calculation.
Special attention was paid to mastering complex skills and information hygiene. The course participants spoke about their experience studying tactical medicine and methods of countering manipulation, noting that the training helped form an “internal filter” for recognizing fakes and protecting loved ones from hostile propaganda.
The most emotional was the discussion of practice at the training ground. The young people described their experience working in the field, the feeling of wearing equipment, and how common challenges changed the interaction in groups, turning them into well-coordinated teams.
The event ended on a note of national unity. Liliya Zolkina thanked everyone for their openness, emphasizing that true patriotism is, above all, responsibility and preparation. On the eve of the National Day of Prayer, all those present united in a joint performance of the prayer "God is great, one" - for Ukraine, for the soldiers in the trenches, and in memory of those who gave their lives for our freedom.