President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, together with Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, Minister of Defense Denys Shmyhal, and Commander of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleh Apostol, met with the warriors of the 95th Polissia Separate Air Assault Brigade at the unit’s command post.
The Head of State received a report from brigade commander Kostiantyn Revutskyi on the situation within the unit’s area of responsibility.
The President thanked the warriors and their brothers-in-arms for defending Ukraine across various frontline sectors and paid special tribute to their contribution to the defense of the Sumy region.
“Today is a deeply symbolic day. I want to thank you and the command for being one of the most important brigades that went through such a difficult path a year ago, for being the participants in the Kursk operation. It was truly a challenge. Perhaps, the first challenge when Ukraine, namely our warriors, brought the war back to Russian territory, to enemy territory. I highly appreciate this. Trust me, no one will allow this operation to be forgotten. I thank you and your brothers-in-arms. Sadly, not all of our heroes are here today, but they are certainly in our memory,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Together with the warriors, the Head of State observed a moment of silence in honor of the fallen Ukrainian defenders.
The President presented the Order of the Golden Star to Hero of Ukraine, soldier Andrii Luhovyi. While carrying out a combat mission in the Kursk region as a scout, he crossed 12 kilometers of open terrain under Russian fire. In the autumn of last year, near the village of Pogrebki, his reconnaissance group ambushed the enemy, eliminated three Russian soldiers, struck at assault groups, and held Ukrainian positions. Andrii Luhovyi was the first to spot an attempted Russian assault on an airmobile battalion’s position – thanks to that, the attack was repelled. In March of this year, he and his group held back Russian advances for nearly a full day, eliminating 25 enemy soldiers and wounding at least 30 more. During a firefight, Andrii Luhovyi was wounded but continued to support his unit in holding the line until evacuation.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also presented the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd Class, to four more warriors, and the Orders “For Courage,” 3rd Class, to two others.
The Head of State also held a discussion with Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, Minister of Defense Denys Shmyhal, Commander of the Air Assault Forces Oleh Apostol, and servicemembers of the 95th Brigade. Topics included motivation among the defenders, Ukrainian drone production, and the provision of pickup trucks, fiber optic cable, and explosives to units. The President emphasized that a decision by the Staff has been made to increase direct funding for combat brigades.
