On the occasion of Rescuer's Day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the employees of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, congratulated them on their professional holiday, and presented state awards.
He emphasized that every night and every day after enemy Russian strikes, all necessary services arrive on site: firefighters, those who clear rubble and provide first aid, and, when needed, sappers, climbers, mine and mountain first responders, aviation units, chemical specialists, psychologists, and engineers.
“Thousands of Ukrainian lives have been saved thanks to your professional work. Thousands of Ukrainian infrastructure facilities have been preserved thanks to your speed and professionalism. It is also important to note the work of the Phoenix evacuation groups of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, who evacuate people from under fire and have to work in extremely difficult, harsh conditions,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted.
The Head of State also thanked all caring citizens who come to the aid of professional first responders.
The President urged everyone to always remember every man and woman who gave their lives saving others. Those present honored the fallen first responders with a moment of silence.
“The cruelty of the Russians, unfortunately, is also evident in repeated strikes. Often, these follow-up strikes happen just when first responders have already begun providing assistance after the first attack. This is done deliberately to reduce the chances of saving people and kill those who save lives,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The President awarded the Golden Star Order of the Hero of Ukraine to Lieutenant Colonel of the Civil Protection Service Viktor Kuzmenko. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, he has taken part in 49 operations to eliminate the consequences of Russian attacks on critical and civilian infrastructure in the Poltava region. In February, he led a group of first responders in extinguishing a fire after a Russian strike on the Yablunivka Gas Processing Division, where high-pressure pipelines caught fire. Shortly afterward, his group arrived in Poltava, where Russia had launched a missile strike on a residential building. Viktor Kuzmenko personally pulled a woman from under the rubble, and another 17 people were rescued under his leadership within the first 30 minutes. During efforts to extinguish a massive fire at an oil depot in the village of Kachanove, which broke out as a result of a Russian strike, he continuously led operations for three days to put out a 5,000-cubic-meter oil tank and remained at the front line even when his protective gear melted. Thanks to his leadership, detonation was prevented, the lives of first responders were saved, and a regional-scale catastrophe was averted.
In addition, the Head of State presented the Orders “For Courage,” II and III class, to 21 first responders and the Order of Princess Olga, III class, to one female first responder.
