On the second anniversary of the liberation of Kyiv region from the Russian occupiers, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy honored the memory of the defenders fallen during the defense and liberation of the village of Moshchun, and presented state awards.
The warriors of the honor guard placed a basket of flowers from the Head of State to the memorial sign "Angels of Victory".
“Today we commemorate a battle that took place already two years ago, but it must never be forgotten. That time largely determined the fate of the Ukrainian state. It was in the battles for Moshchun, and nearby – in the battles for Hostomel, for Irpin, for other towns and villages of Kyiv region, that the fate of Ukraine and the Ukrainian capital was decided. Back then, it was not just a matter of holding off the Russian army from entering Kyiv. It also became obvious to everyone in the world what Ukrainians are and what Putin's Russia is,” the President noted, addressing the attendees.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that two years ago, the world did not believe in Ukraine and did not understand the sinister essence of Russia, but it saw the strength of the unity of our people, the courage and efficiency of Ukrainian warriors.
“Everything changed in February-March of 2022, in such battles, in such manifestations of the heroism of our people and the baseness of our enemy. At that time, we did not have such powerful weapons as we have now, but we already had the main thing – the courage of people and the ability of Ukrainians to make the right choice. A choice for the sake of Ukraine, for the sake of humanity, for the sake of victories in the fight against Russian evil. I thank everyone who defended Kyiv then. I thank everyone who fights for our country, our independence, our people," he said.
The attendees observed a moment of silence in memory of the warriors who died for the freedom of Ukraine.
During the moment of silence, the names of 118 defenders who died in the battles for the village of Moschun, repelling the invasion of the Russian invaders, were announced.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also presented state awards to the servicemen of the Armed Forces, the State Border Guard Service, the National Guard, and the Security Service of Ukraine.
In particular, a participant in the defense of Kyiv, Lieutenant Colonel of the State Border Guard Service Mykola Demyaniuk, who organized the defense on the most dangerous and difficult direction of the enemy's advance in the Moschun area, was awarded the President's Cross of Military Merit. He also distinguished himself during the battles in Kharkiv region.
The Head of State also awarded the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, III class, the Orders "For Courage", II and III class, and the medal "For Military Service to Ukraine".
Relatives, friends and brothers-in-arms of the fallen defenders of Ukraine were also present at events on the territory of the future "Angels of Victory" memorial.
The military leadership, in particular the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, heads of intelligence, Security Service, State Border Guard Service, as well as the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Head of the President's Office, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council and others took part in the commemoration.
The "Angels of Victory" memorial is being created on the territory of the forest near Moschun, where some of the fiercest battles for the defense of Kyiv from the Russian invaders took place in March 2022.
