President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented state awards for courage and self-sacrifice shown in the defense of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine to the journalists and other media representatives.
During the ceremony held in the Mariyinsky Palace in Kyiv, the Head of State thanked the media representatives for their work at this important time of the struggle for Ukraine's independence and sovereignty.
The President noted that from the first day of the full-scale invasion of Russia, Ukrainian and foreign journalists have been telling the world the truth about what is happening in Ukraine, uniting both Ukrainians and citizens of other states around the support for our country.
"You helped unite Europe and the whole world, convince hesitant leaders of some states of our ability to win and convey what we are fighting for," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
He noted that amid Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine not only at the front, but also in the information sphere, which is overfilled with enemy propaganda, conveying the truth is quite a difficult task.
"And I want to thank all of you: we won this information war. It is not over yet, but so far we have defeated multimillion-dollar infusions of the Russian Federation into information attacks against us all over the world," the Head of State emphasized.
The President noted that many journalists died in this war while performing their duties. The attendees honored the memory of the deceased with a moment of silence.
At the same time, he emphasized that the contribution of journalists to Ukraine's struggle for freedom and independence is significant, regardless of where each of them worked - at the front or in the rear.
"Today, all those who are alive and who will forever remain in memory are equally heroes. Those who were and are at the front, and those who have not left their country since February 24 and reported the truth in the civilian sector," the President noted.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented journalists and other media representatives with state awards, which were awarded to them on the occasion of Independence Day for significant merits in strengthening Ukrainian statehood, courage and self-sacrifice shown in the protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, significant personal contribution to the development of various spheres of social life, defense of national interests of our state, conscientious performance of professional duty.
Foreign journalists were also honored for significant personal merits in strengthening interstate cooperation, support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and a significant contribution to the popularization of the Ukrainian state in the world.
