The President Congratulated Special Operations Forces Warriors on the 10th Anniversary of the SOF and Presented State Awards

 

On the Day of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with SOF warriors at one of the command posts, congratulated them on the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Special Operations Forces, presented state awards, handed over a battle flag, conferred an honorary name, and spoke with SOF military leadership.

The Head of State thanked the special operations warriors for their service to Ukraine, their extraordinary courage, and for the strong results they deliver every day.

The Special Operations Forces have gone through all the battles of this war that were the most difficult, the most brutal, and the most important for Ukrainians: from the defense of Kyiv to the liberation of Zmiinyi Island, from the battles in the Donbas to the Kursk operation, which became one of the most tangible steps in bringing the war back onto Russian territory, where it began. The President also thanked SOF warriors for carrying out missions in southern Ukraine — in the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions — and along the border areas in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions.

The Head of State separately highlighted the SOF’s role in carrying out long-range sanctions against Russia for the war. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s deep strikes conducted by the Special Operations Forces, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Unmanned Systems Forces, missile units, and intelligence agencies are always highly distinctive and critically important missions.

“Not only because this most effectively limits Russia’s desire to continue this war against us, above all, thanks to the strikes on Russia’s oil sector facilities and their military factories. But also because, for the first time in the history of Russian aggressions, our deep strikes have opened Russia’s deep rear to entirely justified responses to Russian aggression. Responses from the very nation against which Moscow started this war. Russia must remember that destroying peace carries consequences. And everything that helps this cause matters,” the President stressed.

Special Operations Forces also contribute to supporting resistance in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

“Thank you for organizing such special, difficult, complex, yet vitally important operations, for supporting the resistance, and for creating exactly the kind of problems the occupier deserves,” the Head of State said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that, given the extraordinary complexity of SOF missions, Ukraine remembers those who defend Ukrainian independence and territory at the cost of their own lives. The memory of the fallen warriors was honored with a moment of silence.

The President presented awards to 25 Ukrainian defenders, including two Heroes of Ukraine who received the Orders of the Golden Star. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also presented the Cross of Military Merit award, the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, II and III class, “For Courage,” II and III class, of Princess Olga, III class, of Danylo Halytskyi, and the Medal “For Military Service to Ukraine.”

The Head of State also handed over the battle flag to the 144th Separate Special Operations Forces Center and conferred upon the Separate Special Operations Center “North” the honorary name “Named After the Heroes of the UPA.”

Commander of the Special Operations Forces, Major General Oleksandr Trepak, briefed the President on the results of the missions. During the discussion with SOF military leadership, they reviewed the situation on the front line, current tasks, and future priority operations. Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also presented with the weapons, military equipment, and gear used by the Special Operations Forces in carrying out their missions.