Each morning at 9 o'clock, Kyiv stops for a minute.

Traffic lights turn red, and the steady beat of a metronome on loudspeakers signals 60 seconds of reflection.

Cars idle in the middle of the street as drivers step out and stand with heads bowed.

Across Ukraine — in cafes, gyms, schools, on television, and even on the front lines — people pause to remember those killed in Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Near a growing outdoor memorial at Kyiv’s Maidan Square, four friends gathered with cardboard signs that read, “Stop. Honor.”

Around them, flags, photos and candles for fallen service members formed a dense mosaic of grief and pride.

The four are connected by Iryna Tsybukh, a 25-year-old combat medic killed by a landmine in eastern Ukraine last year.

Her death sparked a national outpouring of grief and added momentum to the daily remembrance initiative.

The 9 a.m. ritual began in 2022, weeks after the invasion started, as a presidential decree from Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

It has since evolved into a shared national practice.

Public demonstrations of solidarity continue even as Russian missile and drone attacks have intensified in recent weeks, striking power facilities and cities across the country.

Despite the escalation, Ukrainians still gather each morning to honor those lost in the war.