During his participation in the plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented state awards to military personnel, power engineers, cultural figures, and representatives of local authorities, business, and diaspora.
“I thank all our people. You are all heroes – our warriors, our citizens. I thank everyone – each and every one of you,” he said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded the Orders of the Golden Star to two Heroes of Ukraine. The highest title was granted to:
Sergeant Viktor Ilchun. In the Zaporizhzhia region, he blew up a section of railroad track, causing an armored train of Russian troops to derail. A Russian Mi-8 helicopter arrived at the scene and was eliminated along with the personnel. Viktor Ilchun also blew up an Ural vehicle, killing 11 occupiers, and in the Kharkiv region, a car carrying a local collaborationist, Gauleiter Yevhen Yunakov.
Colonel of the Medical Service Viktor Ivchuk. As the head of the 555th military hospital, he ensured its protection and defense, as well as round-the-clock care for the wounded and the work of the brigades in Mariupol. Thanks to Viktor Ivchuk's leadership, hundreds of lives of military personnel and civilians, including children, were saved.
The Head of State awarded the Cross of Military Merit to Senior Sergeant Dmytro Kord. As a member of a consolidated tactical group, he forced the crossing of the Dnipro River and performed combat missions in Krynky. In one of the battles, he was wounded, but continued to perform combat missions. After receiving an order to evacuate, he walked more than 2 km with an injured leg and waded across two rivers.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also honored the warriors with the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, I and III classes, For Courage, I and III classes, the Order of Princess Olga, III class, and the Order of Danylo Halytskyi.
The Head of State handed over the Orders of Merit, III class, For Courage, III class, of Princess Olga, III class, and medals to representatives of other professions, as well as conferred the honorary titles of People's Artist of Ukraine, Merited Artists of Ukraine, Merited Teacher of Ukraine and Merited Healthcare Worker of Ukraine.
