On the occasion of the Day of Missile and Artillery Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Ukrainian defenders and honored them with state awards.
“Starting this year, December 4 is your special day. It is a great pleasure for me to personally congratulate and reward some of the best among you, to thank you and your brothers-in-arms. And to express my gratitude to your families and loved ones for their unwavering support. It is so important to support your spirit and strength because your accuracy and ability to destroy the enemy depend on such support and on all of us,” the Head of State said.
He noted that Ukraine will always remember the feat of all those who gave their lives for its independence. The participants honored the memory of the fallen defenders with a minute of silence.
The President thanked the warriors of the Missile and Artillery Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for defending our country and presented them with state awards. Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the Cross of Military Merit award to three combatants. The award recipients are:
Captain Serhii Babak. He defended Ukraine in the Zaporizhzhia and Sumy regions and, from the first day of the Kursk operation, carried out combat missions in the Kursk region. He repeatedly carried out artillery preparations in the most challenging areas of the offensive. He organized the work of an artillery battery to destroy enemy fortifications. Under his leadership, up to 2 platoons of Russian invaders and more than 10 fire emplacements were eliminated.
Captain Maksym Shevel. He took part in the liberation of the Kherson region, carrying out 20-30 fire missions a day. Only between August 30 and November 11, 2022, the combined artillery platoon under his command destroyed 9 self-propelled artillery systems, 8 howitzers, 2 Grad MLRS, 3 IFVs, 2 BRDMs, 5 mortar crews, 2 MT-LBs and approximately 8 enemy vehicles. Since this June, the artillery battery led by Maksym Shevel has been performing combat missions in the Kherson region.
Senior Lieutenant Oleksandr Shkribliak. In March 2022, he repelled the Russian occupiers' attack on Mykolaiv. While part of a howitzer battery, he found himself encircled, but successfully evacuated a damaged self-propelled howitzer along with its crew. Under his command, the crew of the 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer destroyed an ammunition depot, a T-72 tank, a platoon stronghold, assault groups and a UAV group. As a result, more than 80 Russian invaders were eliminated.
The President also awarded the defenders with the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, I-III classes, the Orders “For Courage,” II-III classes, the Order of Princess Olga, III class, and the Medal “For Military Service to Ukraine.”
