President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Ukrainian warriors and relatives of fallen defenders and presented the highest state awards.
“Today we will hear the names of people who are now at war, the names of people who gave their lives for the sake of Ukraine. These names are the people who keep Ukraine alive,” the Head of State said.
The President emphasized that it is thanks to such people that Ukraine is among almost 200 independent countries in the world.
“Such people are special people. Parents like you, sons and daughters like Ukrainian warriors. Like each and every one who holds Ukraine, our independence, and the future for the Ukrainian people on their shoulders, with their courage, their work. On behalf of the whole of Ukraine, I thank you for being with us,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The attendees honored the memory of all those who gave their lives for the sake of Ukraine with a moment of silence.
The President presented the Order of the Golden Star to the families of the fallen Heroes of Ukraine. It was awarded to:
Major Andrii Pilshchykov (call sign "Juice"). Between March 2022 and August 2023, he flew 101 combat missions. As a result, he managed to destroy air targets, air defense systems, weapons, aircraft and military equipment, and Russian occupiers. Andrii Pilshchykov was one of those who participated in the negotiations in the US Senate to provide Ukraine with offensive weapons, Patriot systems, ATACMS missiles, and F-16 fighter jets. He was killed last year on August 25 while performing a combat mission.
Junior Sergeant Volodymyr Ocheretianyi. A senior combat medic who saved hundreds of soldiers' lives. In particular, during one of the evacuations, he and his brothers-in-arms carried wounded soldiers from the battlefield for almost 2 km. Volodymyr Ocheretianyi died in March last year while saving the lives of his brothers-in-arms.
Captain Viacheslav Sindiy. In February-April 2022, he transported personnel, medicines and weapons, and destroyed Russian occupiers in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions and in Mariupol. On April 5, 2022, as part of the crew, he delivered ammunition and evacuated the wounded from Azovstal. When returning to the territory controlled by Ukraine, his helicopter disappeared from the radar.
Senior Sergeant Ihor Rakhmanov. He has been defending Ukraine since 2014. Thanks to him, the lives of 25 Ukrainian warriors were saved. Under the command of Ihor Rakhmanov, in just one battle, Ukrainian defenders destroyed three T-72 tanks, an infantry fighting vehicle and more than 30 Russian invaders. Ihor Rakhmanov died on April 5, 2022. When he was helping the wounded, a shell exploded nearby.
Sergeant Oleksandr Plokhykh. Voluntarily participated in a covert operation in the besieged Mariupol. As part of a group that withstood four waves of assault, he personally killed 10 Russian invaders. He was wounded, but after treatment continued to defend Ukraine. Last year in June, together with his brother-in-arms, he destroyed an assault group and captured two occupiers. During their evacuation, Oleksandr Plokhykh came under shelling and was killed.
Senior Lieutenant Makar Yerofeyev. He commanded a reconnaissance platoon and performed combat missions during the defense of Kharkiv and Chuhuiv, distinguished himself in the battles for Kupyansk, and participated in the defense of Klishchiivka. While leaving the area of one of his missions, Makar Yerofeyev evacuated a wounded International Legion soldier, a Lithuanian citizen, but was killed by a mine explosion.
Lieutenant Serhiy Konoval. He defended Kyiv and held back the occupiers' advance in the Zaporizhzhia and Chernihiv regions. In September 2022, under fire, he evacuated a wounded soldier and the body of a fallen soldier. The company under his command fought in Bakhmut and held the defense lines of the Serebryansky Forest for seven months. Serhiy Konoval died on April 6 this year as a result of a tank shell hitting his dugout.
Captain Vitaliy Lysytsia. He defended Ukraine in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Kharkiv regions. He was directly involved in the liberation of Balakliya and Kupyansk. Not far from Chasiv Yar, a mechanized company under his command repelled more than 15 assaults and killed 15 Russian occupiers. During one of the battles on May 10 this year, Vitaliy Lysytsia was killed.
Captain Nazar Naberezhnyi. Since March 2022, he has participated in battles in the Avdiivka sector. The unit under his command repelled about 35 attacks near Avdiivka and 20 attacks near Novobakhmutivka, destroyed 13 armored personnel carriers and three T-64 tanks. The warrior personally eliminated about 30 invaders. On January 30 this year, Nazar Naberezhnyi was MIA near Avdiivka. A few months later, his body was identified.
Soldier Serhiy Bahniuk. The firing group under his command destroyed 10 occupiers and an APC-80, damaged an armored personnel carrier, captured two infantry fighting vehicles and discovered a warehouse with artillery ammunition, and he himself killed 10 occupiers. On May 9 last year, during an artillery attack, Serhiy Bahniuk was mortally wounded.
Senior soldier Andriy Vovk. He took part in repulsing the Russian invaders in the area of Serebryansky Forest: he personally destroyed the invaders and evacuated his wounded brothers-in-arms. On October 1, last year, he prevented an attempt by an enemy subversive reconnaissance group to enter the positions of his unit and saved the lives of 20 Ukrainian warriors. However, in this battle, Andriy Vovk died as a result of a gunshot wound.
Senior Lieutenant Denys Badika. On the first day of the full-scale Russian invasion, he was part of the crew that evacuated five Mi-8s and one Mi-24 from under attack. During combat missions, he destroyed Russian equipment and occupiers, as well as delivered ammunition and medical supplies to Azovstal and evacuated the wounded. During one of these flights, the helicopter came under fire and the crew took fire for themselves. The helicopter crashed, but this allowed the other three helicopters to land at the airfield and save the lives of the wounded Azovstal defenders.
Major Serhiy Tkachenko (NGU). Reconnaissance units under his leadership stormed positions in the Serebryansky Forest. They managed to destroy advanced observation posts, about two platoons of infantry and armored vehicles. The Major personally destroyed a tank, two armored personnel carriers with their crews, and several dozen invaders. Serhiy Tkachenko was killed last year on July 30, when he was covering the retreat of his brothers-in-arms.
Soldier Yevhen Kozlov (NGU). On February 25, 2022, he was the first to spot a Russian column near Triokhizbenka, Luhansk region, and destroyed 2 tanks and 10 occupiers. During one of the battles, he was taken prisoner. Yevhen Kozlov was released on April 2 of the same year, and after treatment and rehabilitation, he returned to the front. He evacuated about 50 civilians from the bomb shelters of Siverskodonetsk, including 11 children. Yevhen Kozlov died on August 18, 2022, when an enemy shell exploded near his position.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also handed over the Cross of Military Merit award to the families of the National Guard servicemen Andriy Chobanu and Dmytro Chipak.
Last year in July, Senior Lieutenant Andriy Chobanu killed three occupiers who were trying to break through Ukrainian positions. He was wounded, but continued to perform his combat mission. During enemy attacks, he repeatedly dispersed personnel to combat positions, which helped the guardsmen repel the attack. On January 31 this year, Andriy Chobanu was killed while repelling another attack.
Last December, during an assault in the Serebryansky Forest area, Lieutenant Dmytro Chipak organized the defense of a position, planned a maneuver to the enemy's flank and, together with the guardsmen, killed more than 20 invaders. He repeatedly saved his wounded brothers-in-arms in battles, held back enemy attacks and eliminated the invaders. Dmytro Chipak died on April 21 this year as a result of wounds he sustained during a small arms battle.
The Head of State presented the “Golden Star” of the Hero of Ukraine to four warriors. The highest state award was presented to:
Lieutenant Andriy Melashchenko. Last year in November, he planned and directly participated in the assault operations, which resulted in the recapture of three positions near Yahidne. In September of this year, he led the assault operations to regain lost positions at Pivdennodonbaska No. 3 mine. As a result of one of the attacks, he was wounded, but led the battle to the end and left the position after all his subordinates.
Soldier Serhiy Mushyk. For 59 days he was continuously at firing positions near Klishchiivka. Despite four injuries and chemical poisoning, he refused evacuation and provided himself with medical aid. Due to the deaths of his brothers-in-arms, he was left alone in the position for a long time, but continued to monitor the enemy, adjust fire and inflict losses. He personally repelled more than 10 Russian assaults.
Junior Sergeant Yanosh Balla. From August 2023, he repelled enemy attacks in the Kharkiv region. He personally killed at least eight Russian infantrymen. Last winter, he returned to service after being wounded. While repulsing attacks, he destroyed two IFVs and stopped a T-72 tank. In addition, he captured a platoon stronghold, shot down 2 UAVs, destroyed a reconnaissance group and a full assault group.
Lieutenant Andriy Skibin. Deputy commander of a UAV company. In 2022-2023, in the Donetsk region, he adjusted fire, which helped to destroy and wound dozens of occupiers, destroy ammunition depots, eliminate three T-72 tanks, eight infantry fighting vehicles, damage T-72 and T-80 tanks and five vehicles. In April of this year, he discovered and destroyed an enemy self-propelled howitzer along with its crew.
The President awarded seven servicemen with the Cross of Military Merit. The recipients were:
Sergeant Sviatoslav Kolos. On April 3, 2023, as a platoon commander, he held back attacks in Soledar, and since October – near Khromove. In particular, for eight hours, he carried his wounded brothers-in-arms to the evacuation point on his own. This year, in May, he repelled attacks in the Luhansk sector. Taking the place of a machine gunner wounded in action, he killed at least eight invaders.
Junior Sergeant Oleksandr Popovych. In August last year, he crossed the Dnipro River near Kozachi Laheri. In November, he killed five occupiers and wounded two more in a battle. He managed the equipment of more than 1 km of trenches and communication passages, several strongholds and platoon strongholds, which are still very important for holding the positions.
Soldier Volodymyr Voytsiv. From March to April this year, he was in the “gray zone”. In a battle, he was injured in the legs, provided himself with medical aid and continued to fight for a month with a small supply of food, water and ammunition. Thanks to this, the enemy was unable to take the position. When the operational situation changed, Volodymyr Voytsiv crawled to a neighboring unit, where he was evacuated.
Colonel Serhiy Kosovan. Deputy head of the training department of the Operational Command East. The brigade under his command fought in Avdiivka against four Russian brigades. Between October 2023 and January 2024, the brigade's units destroyed and damaged 211 pieces of military equipment and inflicted losses in manpower, more than 1,200 of which were irrecoverable.
Junior Sergeant Petro Filiuk. During the offensive of the Russian invaders in the area of Spirne, he adjusted mortar fire on armored vehicles and infantry, which resulted in the destruction of an infantry fighting vehicle and six invaders. He personally killed three Russian invaders with a machine gun and wounded two more. In December last year, he sustained multiple injuries as a result of a grenade explosion.
Captain Yevhen Buha. The commander of the assault battalion of the 5th Air Assault Brigade. He organized the activities of aerial reconnaissance units, which allowed timely detection of the movements of the Russian occupiers. Under his leadership, the units of attack UAVs destroyed more than 130 Russian invaders. He effectively planned a counter-offensive, which allowed to regain the lost positions and destroy 11 enemies.
Chief Sergeant Viacheslav Heryk. 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 was personally involved in planning an assault operation to capture one of the positions near Novosilka in the Donetsk region.
