The President Honors Ukrainians with State Awards

The President Honors Ukrainians with State Awards

On the occasion of the Day of Ukrainian Statehood and the Day of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus – Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy honored Ukrainian warriors, including Heroes of Ukraine, with the highest state awards, presented orders to the families of the fallen, handed over battle flags, “For Courage and Bravery” distinctions, and honorific name ribbons to unit commanders, as well as awards to civilian Ukrainians and Ukrainian passports to 14-year-old children.

The event was attended by: Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Government officials, Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Ukraine, military leadership, Ukrainian warriors, and their families.

Also present were foreign guests visiting Ukraine: U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg and Prime Minister of Latvia Evika Siliņa.

The Head of State laid flowers at the Wall of Remembrance for fallen Ukrainian defenders. Those present honored the memory of all who gave their lives for Ukraine with a moment of silence.

“For over ten centuries, Kyiv and our entire Ukrainian land have been one of the world’s centers of Christianity and European historical heritage. Without Ukraine, without the battles won here and the legendary Ukrainian figures, without the achievements of our people and the connections of many countries specifically with Ukraine, it is simply impossible to imagine a complete and honest history of Europe,” the President stated.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that it is Ukraine today where the future fate of Europe is being determined and expressed gratitude to everyone who fights and works for our country, as well as to every person who helps.

The President handed over the Orders of the Golden Star to the families of the fallen Heroes of Ukraine. Those awarded posthumously include:

Sergeant Vasyl Salyvonchyk, commander of a rifle squad. He personally destroyed a Russian T-72 tank during defensive actions near Bakhmut, eliminated at least three Russian invaders in rifle combat, and commanded a repulsion of an assault. On May 11, 2023, he led one of the assault groups. Despite being wounded in a Russian mortar attack, he continued the mission. Approaching enemy positions, the group was ambushed. Vasyl Salyvonchyk covered the retreat of his brothers-in-arms at the cost of his life.

Soldier Viktor Smoliichuk (State Transport Special Service). In February 2023, he helped unblock assault company troops from a high-rise in the Bakhmut direction and prevented full encirclement by the enemy. After the squad leader was wounded, he took command and led the group out of semi-encirclement without losses. He repelled enemy assaults near Bohdanivka. Destroyed at least 25 occupiers, including Wagner PMC militants. Viktor Smoliichuk died due to a Russian artillery strike during evacuation.

Senior Lieutenant Oleksii Solodaniuk. Warriors under his command supported the offensive near Robotyne. On August 23, 2023, he organized preparations to repel an attack on an observation stronghold. While moving to establish another stronghold, he noticed a Russian reconnaissance drone and decided to change the route to avoid revealing company positions. Crossing a mined area, Oleksii Solodaniuk lost his life. He distracted enemy aerial reconnaissance, thus saving eight Ukrainian defenders.

The Orders of the Golden Star were personally presented to the Heroes of Ukraine:

Junior Sergeant Ivan Basiuk. From August 1 last year to January 20 this year, he eliminated 119 Russian occupiers in the Pokrovsk direction, destroyed 82 artillery units, and damaged another 81. For the past eight months, he has commanded a squad of Unmanned Aerial Systems.

Colonel Anton Zadorozhnyi (National Guard of Ukraine). He eliminated 11 Russian occupiers in the Kharkiv direction. After an offensive was repelled, the enemy artillery struck National Guard positions, wounding one of Anton Zadorozhnyi’s brothers-in-arms. However, despite risking his life, the Colonel managed to save him. During one of the combats, he organized the evacuation of the wounded and provided covering fire with a machine gun, eliminating eight occupiers.

Senior Sergeant Ivan Motruk. As a tank gunner during the assault on a height near Krasnohorivka, he destroyed 12 occupiers at an observation post later taken under control by Ukrainian units. During a combat engagement, he stopped the enemy, destroyed two IFVs, a T-72 tank, and a truck carrying personnel (24 Russian servicemembers). He was wounded last June by an enemy FPV drone attack but returned to the front after treatment.

The President also presented the “Cross of Military Merit” award to Junior Sergeant Illia Velykyi and Junior Lieutenant Andrii Filanovych.

Illia Velykyi engaged in combat as a member of Territorial Defense units in the Kherson and Donetsk regions. Since July of last year, he has been carrying out combat missions in the Pokrovsk direction as part of the 414th Separate Unmanned Strike Aviation Regiment. In January of this year, as a member of a strike UAV crew, he destroyed seven enemy vehicles, two motorcycles carrying infantry, 12 occupiers, and a fuel and lubricants depot.

Andrii Filanovych participated in combat in the Donetsk and Kherson regions. In February this year, as part of a strike UAV crew, he carried out combat missions in the Donetsk region, destroying enemy electronic warfare equipment, a mortar, MLRS, motorcycles, and vehicles carrying infantry.

Ukrainian defenders also received the orders “For Courage”, II and III class, and “Of Merit”, III class.

Additionally, the President presented state awards to representatives of the clergy, local authorities, business, journalists, educators, and energy workers. In particular, the Orders of Merit, II class, were awarded to Moshe Reuven Azman, Chief Rabbi of Kyiv and Ukraine of the All-Ukrainian Congress of Jewish Religious Communities, and Reuters cameraman Ivan Liubysh-Kirdey, who was severely wounded in a Russian attack on Kramatorsk last year.

The Head of State handed over battle flags to the commanders of the 1st Separate Assault Regiment and the 12th Separate Tank Battalion; distinctions “For Courage and Bravery” to commanders of the 241st Separate Territorial Defense Brigade and the 36th Regiment of the Western Operational Territorial Association of the National Guard. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also presented honorific name ribbons: the 31st Separate Mechanized Brigade was named after Brigadier General Leonid Stupnytskyi, the 110th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade received the name “Khortytsia,” and the 24th Regiment of the Western Operational Territorial Association of the National Guard was named after Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi.

The President handed Ukrainian passports to children of Ukrainian defenders, winners of academic Olympiads, contests, and sports competitions, as well as to schoolchildren engaged in volunteering.

https://www.president.gov.ua/news/