“On the occasion of the Day of Airborne Assault Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi met with military personnel and relatives of fallen Heroes of Ukraine and presented state awards.”, — write: www.president.gov.ua
On the occasion of the Day of Airborne Assault Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi met with military personnel and relatives of fallen Heroes of Ukraine and presented state awards.
The ceremony was also attended by a British delegation led by the Chief of the Defense Staff, Admiral Sir Anthony Radakin.
The Head of State noted that the Airborne Assault Forces fight in the most difficult areas and perform the most difficult tasks.
“There is not such a really hot section of our front that would not feel the power of our DSHV. And separately, I want to thank our paratroopers for the Kursk operation – for the fact that Ukraine proved that it is capable, under any circumstances, of directing this war in such a way that Russia would understand what they have done with this war and that they will definitely be for it answer,” said the President.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged to always remember all Ukrainian men and women who gave their lives on the battlefield for the sake of Ukraine and its independence. Those present honored the memory of the fallen with a minute of silence.
The head of state presented the “Golden Star” order to the relatives of the three fallen Heroes of Ukraine. The highest rank was awarded posthumously to:
Lieutenant Vitaly Dudai. The platoon under his command repeatedly repelled enemy attacks near Maryinka, inflicted significant casualties on the enemy, destroyed three tanks, several BMPs and vehicles with infantry. Vitaly Dudai died last year on May 21 as a result of enemy mortar fire during the replacement of the group in combat positions.
Senior sapper Danylo Zvonarev. He made passages through enemy mine-explosive barriers, mined the front edge of the defense, participated in assaults and, as part of evacuation groups, took out the wounded and dead under enemy fire. On July 23 of last year, during the mining of the front edge of the defense in the Maryinka area, Danylo Zvonaryev, as part of his group, came under artillery fire. He covered his two brothers, but he himself died from multiple shrapnel wounds.
Sergeant Artem Sobchenko. During the battles in Soledar, as a combat medic, he saved the lives and health of many comrades, participated in defensive battles in Bakhmut and led the unit. During another Russian assault, his fighter was wounded and could not get to the shelter himself. Artem Sobchenko reached his brother under targeted fire, provided help and evacuated. But during the transfer to the firing position, he suffered a life-threatening wound as a result of artillery fire.
Two more Heroes of Ukraine personally received the “Gold Star” order:
Colonel Evgeny Lasiychuk. The commander of the 25th separate airborne brigade, which is fighting in the Pokrovsky direction. In March, the unit under his leadership thwarted a large-scale offensive by the Russian occupiers, who engaged 36 tanks and 12 BMPs. In general, during the defense in this direction, the soldiers of the brigade destroyed almost a thousand occupiers and wounded more than one and a half thousand, and also eliminated 43 tanks, 81 BMPs, 4 armored personnel carriers, 1 self-propelled guns and 17 drones.
Major Ruslan Panezyorov. Last year in January near Klishchiivka, during the evacuation of three wounded comrades, he came under enemy fire, but despite this, he remained on the battlefield together with the group and destroyed 15 invaders. In the winter of this year, he ensured the passage of assault groups under the aimed fire of artillery and tanks, and then arranged mine and explosive barricades. Thanks to this, it was possible to destroy about 35 invaders and 5 BPM.
The Head of State presented the “Cross of Combat Merit” to two more defenders. It was received by:
Colonel Andriy Tkachuk. The commander of the 71st separate hunting brigade, which last autumn conducted defensive and offensive operations in the Zaporozhye direction and advanced up to 1 km deep into the front line. In May of this year, the brigade together with other military units of the Armed Forces destroyed 8 self-propelled guns, 14 tanks, 11 BMP and 36 vehicles in the Vovchansk region.
Colonel Oleksiy Yavkun. The commander of the 81st separate airmobile brigade, whose units destroyed 8 T-80 tanks, 6 BMPs, an ammunition depot and up to 50 Russian invaders near Beilohorivka from March to April of this year and forced the enemy to retreat. Also, in just one battle at the beginning of May, units of the brigade eliminated 3 T-80 tanks, 2 BMPs, 1 armored personnel carrier and up to 20 invaders.
In addition, the Head of State awarded defenders with the orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky II and III degrees, “For Courage” II and III degrees and Princess Olga II degrees.
The President presented the award “For Courage and Courage” to the 199th Training Center of Airborne Assault Forces, and also awarded the 77th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade the honorary name “Naddnipryansk” and the 148th Separate Artillery Brigade – “Zhytomyr”.
