“The head of state emphasized that it is thanks to such people that Ukraine is among almost 200 independent states of the world.”, — write: www.president.gov.ua
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Ukrainian soldiers and relatives of the fallen defenders and presented the highest state awards.
“Today, the names of people who are currently at war will be heard, the names of people who gave their lives for the life of Ukraine will be heard. Such names are the people thanks to whom Ukraine is preserved,” said the Head of State.
The President emphasized that it is thanks to such people that Ukraine is among almost 200 independent states of the world.
“Such people are special people. Fathers like you, sons and daughters like Ukrainian soldiers. Like everyone who holds Ukraine, our independence, the future of the Ukrainian people on their shoulders, with their courage, with their work. On behalf of all of Ukraine, I thank you for having you with us,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyi.
The memory of all those who gave their lives for the sake of Ukraine was honored with a moment of silence.
The President presented the Golden Star Order to the relatives of fallen Heroes of Ukraine. It was awarded to:
Major Andriy Pilshchikov (call sign Jus). From March 2022 to August 2023, he made 101 sorties. Thanks to this, it was possible to destroy air targets, air defense complexes, weapons, aviation and military equipment, and the Russian occupiers. Andriy Pilshchikov was one of those who participated in negotiations in the US Senate regarding the provision of offensive weapons, Patriot systems, ATACMS missiles and F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. He died last year on August 25 while performing a combat mission.
Junior sergeant Volodymyr Ocheretyany. A senior combat medic who saved hundreds of soldiers’ lives. In particular, during one of the evacuations, together with his comrades, he carried wounded soldiers from the battlefield for almost 2 km. Volodymyr Ocheretyany died in March of last year when he was saving the lives of his brothers.
Captain Vyacheslav Sindiy. In February – April 2022, it transported personnel, medicines and weapons, as well as destroyed Russian occupiers in Kherson region, Mykolaiv region and Mariupol. On April 5, 2022, as part of the crew, he delivered ammunition and evacuated the wounded from Azovstal. While returning to the territory controlled by Ukraine, his plane disappeared from the radar.
Senior sergeant Igor Rakhmanov. Defended Ukraine since 2014. Thanks to him, it was possible to save the lives of 25 Ukrainian soldiers. Under the command of Igor Rakhmanov, in just one of the battles, the Ukrainian defenders destroyed three T-72 tanks, BMP and more than 30 Russian invaders. Ihor Rakhmanov died on April 5, 2022. When he helped the wounded, a shell exploded nearby.
Sergeant Oleksandr Plokhikh. Voluntarily took part in a secret operation in surrounded Mariupol. As part of a group that withstood four waves of assault, he personally destroyed 10 Russian invaders. He was wounded, but after treatment he continued to defend Ukraine. Last year in June, together with his brother, he destroyed an assault group and captured two invaders. During their evacuation, Oleksandr Plokhikh came under artillery fire and died.
Senior lieutenant Makar Erofeev. He commanded a reconnaissance platoon and performed combat tasks during the defense of Kharkiv and Chuguyev, distinguished himself in the battles for Kupyansk, and participated in the defense of Klishchiivka. While leaving the area to perform one of the tasks, Makar Erofeev evacuated a wounded serviceman of the Foreign Legion – a citizen of Lithuania, but he himself died as a result of a mine explosion.
Lieutenant Sergey Konoval. He defended Kyiv and restrained the advance of the occupiers in Zaporozhye and Chernihiv Oblast. In September 2022, he evacuated a wounded soldier and the body of a dead soldier under fire. The company under his command fought in Bakhmut and for seven months held the lines of defense of the Serebryan Forest. Serhiy Konoval died on April 6 of this year as a result of a tank shell hitting the dugout.
Captain Vitaly Lysitsa. He defended Ukraine in Donetsk region, Luhansk region, Kherson region and Kharkiv region. He took a direct part in the liberation of, in particular, Balaklia and Kupyansk. Near Chasovoy Yar, a mechanized company under his command repelled more than 15 assaults and destroyed 15 Russian invaders. During one of the battles on May 10 of this year, Vitaly Lysytsia died.
Captain Nazar Naberezhnyi. From March 2022, he took part in battles in the Avdiyiv direction. The unit under his command repelled about 35 attacks near Avdiivka and 20 attacks near Novobakhmutivka, destroyed 13 BMPs and three T-64 tanks. The soldier personally eliminated about 30 invaders. On January 30 of this year, Nazar Naberezhny went missing near Avdiivka. In a few months, his body was identified.
Soldier Serhii Bagnyuk. The fire group under his command destroyed 10 invaders and an APC-80, damaged an armored personnel carrier, captured two BMPs and discovered a warehouse with artillery ammunition, and he himself destroyed 10 invaders. On May 9, last year, Serhii Bagniuk was injured during artillery shelling.
Senior soldier Andriy Vovk. He took part in the repulse of the Russian invaders in the Serebryansk forest area: he personally destroyed the invaders and also evacuated wounded comrades. On October 1 of last year, he prevented an attempt by the enemy DRG to enter the position of his unit and saved the lives of 20 Ukrainian soldiers. However, in this battle, Andrii Vovk died as a result of a gunshot wound.
Senior lieutenant Denis Badika. On the first day of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, the crew took out five Mi-8 and one Mi-24 from under attack. During combat sorties, he destroyed Russian equipment and occupiers, as well as delivered ammunition and medicines to “Azovstal” and evacuated the wounded. During one of these flights, the helicopter came under fire and its crew took fire on themselves. The plane crashed, but thanks to this, three other rotorcraft were able to land on the airfield and the lives of the wounded defenders of Azovstal were saved.
Major Sergey Tkachenko (NSU). Intelligence units under his leadership stormed positions in the Serebryan Forest. They managed to destroy advanced observation posts, about two platoons of infantry and armored vehicles. The major personally eliminated a tank, two armored personnel carriers with crews, as well as several dozen occupants. Serhiy Tkachenko died last year on July 30, when he covered the departure of his brothers.
Soldier Evgeny Kozlov (NSU). On February 25, 2022, he was the first to spot a Russian convoy near Trykhizbenka in the Luhansk region and destroyed two tanks and 10 invaders. He was captured during one of the battles. Evgeny Kozlov was released on April 2 of the same year, after treatment and rehabilitation he returned to the front. From Sievers bomb shelters Kodonetska evacuated about 50 civilians, including 11 children. Yevgeny Kozlov died on August 18, 2022, when an enemy shell exploded near his position.
Volodymyr Zelenskyi also presented the “Cross of Combat Merit” award to relatives of National Guard servicemen Andrii Choban and Dmytro Chipak.
Senior lieutenant Andrii Chobanu last year in July, during an attempt to break through Ukrainian positions, he destroyed three occupiers. He himself was wounded, but continued to perform the combat mission. During enemy attacks, he repeatedly dispersed personnel to combat positions, thanks to which the guardsmen repelled the attack. On January 31 of this year, Andrii Chobanu died while preventing another attack.
Lieutenant Dmytro Chipak Last year in December, during the assault in the Serebryansky Forest area, he organized the defense of the position, planned a maneuver to the enemy’s flank and, together with the guardsmen, destroyed more than 20 invaders. He repeatedly saved wounded comrades in battles, restrained enemy attacks and eliminated invaders. Dmytro Chipak died on April 21 of this year as a result of injuries he sustained during a shooting battle.
The head of state presented the “Golden Star” of the Hero of Ukraine to four soldiers. The highest state award was awarded to:
Lieutenant Andrii Melashchenko. Last year in November, he himself planned and directly participated in the assault operations, thanks to which it was possible to recapture three positions near Yagidny. In September of this year, he led the assault to regain lost positions at the Pivdennodonbaska No. 3 mine. As a result of one of the attacks, he was wounded, but he led the battle to the last and left the position after all his subordinates.
Soldier Serhiy Mushyk. For 59 days, he was continuously in firing positions near Klishchiivka. Despite four wounds and chemical poisoning, he refused to evacuate and helped himself. Due to the death of his comrades, he was alone in the position for a long time, but continued to monitor the enemy, adjust fire and inflict casualties. He personally repelled more than 10 Russian assaults.
Junior sergeant Janos Balla. From August 2023, he repelled enemy attacks in the Kharkiv region. He personally destroyed at least eight Russian infantrymen. He returned to the army last winter after being wounded. During the repulse of the assaults, he destroyed two BMPs and stopped the T-72 tank. In addition, captured the VOP, shot down 2 unmanned aerial vehicles, destroyed the DRG and the assault group in full.
Lieutenant Andriy Skibin. Deputy commander of the BpLA company. In 2022–2023, he adjusted fire in Donetsk region, thanks to which it was possible to destroy and injure dozens of occupiers, hit ammunition depots, eliminate three T-72 tanks, eight BMPs, damage T-72 and T-80 tanks, and five cars. In April of this year, he discovered and destroyed an enemy self-propelled howitzer along with a calculation.
The President awarded seven soldiers with the “Cross of Combat Merit”. The award was given to:
Sergeant Svyatoslav Kolos. On April 3, 2023, as a platoon commander, he restrained attacks in Soledar, and since October – near Khromovo. In particular, for eight hours he independently transported wounded comrades to the evacuation point. This year in May, he repelled attacks in the Luhansk direction. Taking the place of a machine gunner wounded in battle, he destroyed at least eight invaders.
Junior sergeant Oleksandr Popovych. In August of last year, he crossed the Dnipro in the Cossack Camps area. In November, he killed five occupiers and wounded two more in battle. Controlled the equipment of more than 1 km of trenches and lines of communication, several strong points and VOP, which are still very important for maintaining occupied positions.
Soldier Volodymyr Voitsiv. From March to April of this year, he was in the “gray zone”. In the battle, he received wounds in his legs, helped himself and for a month, having a small supply of food, water and ammunition, continued to fight. Thanks to this, the enemy could not take a position. When the operational situation changed, Volodymyr Voitsiv crawled to the adjacent unit, from where he was able to be evacuated.
Colonel Sergey Kosovan. Deputy head of the training department of OK “East”. The brigade under his command fought in Avdiivka against four Russian brigades. Only from October 2023 to January 2024, units of the brigade destroyed and damaged 211 units of military equipment, and also caused losses in manpower, of which more than 1,200 are irreversible.
Junior sergeant Petro Filyuk. During the offensive of the Russian occupiers in the area of Spirny, he adjusted mortar fire on armored vehicles and infantry, thanks to which it was possible to destroy the BMP and six occupiers. He personally killed three Russian invaders with a machine gun and wounded two more. In December of last year, he suffered numerous injuries as a result of a grenade explosion.
Captain Evgeny Buga. The commander of the assault battalion of the 5th OShbr. He organized the activities of aerial reconnaissance units, which made it possible to detect the movements of the Russian occupiers in time. Under his leadership, attack UAV units hit more than 130 Russian invaders. Effectively planned a counterattack, thanks to which it was possible to regain lost positions and destroy 11 enemies.
Master Sergeant Vyacheslav Geryk. In June of this year, he participated in the formation of a special rifle battalion, which showed one of the best results among the special battalions of Ukraine. He personally planned the assault operation to seize one of the positions near Novosilka in Donetsk region.
