On the occasion of Infantry Day, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Ukrainian infantry service members, congratulated them on the holiday, and presented them with state awards.
The Head of State stressed that the infantry is the bedrock of the Ukrainian army. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, although drones and those who operate them now play a major role on the front line in striking the enemy, it is the Ukrainian infantry personnel who hold our frontline positions.
“The army relies on you; the army relies on the infantry. Right now, in May, our military command and the Ministry of Defense, our Government, are introducing new steps that will enable Ukraine to strengthen infantrymen and our army as a whole. These include stronger contracts for infantrymen, more substantial financial resources, greater supplies of all necessary equipment – from FPVs to UGVs – and, most importantly, significantly greater attention from the state to the infantry,” the President noted.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also emphasized: we must remember that the positions of Ukrainian infantry in this war are the blood and pain, the courage and pride of Ukrainians who fight for Ukraine and give their lives. The memory of the fallen warriors was honored with a minute of silence.
The Head of State presented the Orders of the Golden Star to the families of fallen Heroes of Ukraine. This title was awarded posthumously to:
Lieutenant Oleh Kutsyn. In 2014, he formed and led the separate volunteer company, Carpathian Sich, which in December 2023 was renamed the 49th Separate Assault Battalion Carpathian Sich. Under his command, the service members defended the Donetsk airport and protected Ukraine in the areas of Pisky, Opytne, and Vodiane in the Donetsk region. In March–April 2022, Lieutenant Kutsyn took part in planning and implementing a defensive operation in Velyka Dymerka, as well as the de-occupation and clearance operations in the Vyshhorod and Bucha districts of the Kyiv region. Oleh Kutsyn was killed on June 19, 2022, in the Kharkiv region during an enemy shelling.
Soldier Oleksandr Svishch. At the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, he took part in the defense of Kyiv, later carrying out combat missions in the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Donetsk directions. From November 2022 to September 2023, he gathered intelligence on enemy positions and participated in battles in the Bakhmut area. In February 2023, together with an assault group, he broke out of encirclement after eliminating 11 occupiers. Oleksandr Svishch was killed on September 11, 2023, during an enemy artillery strike near Andriivka in the Donetsk region.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the Cross of Military Merit award to the family of the fallen soldier Anatolii Musiienko. In 2024, he took part in battles in the Donetsk region. He repeatedly identified enemy assault groups and Russian positions and participated in their elimination. In just one week, he personally eliminated around 30 occupiers. On October 29, 2024, together with his brothers-in-arms, he held back an enemy assault from several directions, eliminating four enemy fighters and capturing two. On the same day, during a firefight, Anatolii Musiienko was killed as a result of a gunshot wound.
The President awarded two Heroes of Ukraine with Orders of the Golden Star. The highest state award was presented to:
Soldier Yaroslav Kolomiiets. He spent 351 consecutive days in positions in the Donetsk region and, together with his brothers-in-arms, held the defense near Orikhovo-Vasylivka in the Bakhmut district. He detected enemy assault groups in time and engaged them in combat, preventing the occupiers from advancing. In particular, on January 21, during a Russian assault, he personally eliminated three enemies, and with artillery support, Ukrainian defenders held the position, preventing Russian advancement.
Captain Oleksii Mykhailov. In 2022, together with his unit, he held back the enemy in the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions and took part in the liberation of the Kherson region. Throughout 2023, he spent 343 days at a company strongpoint in the Zaporizhzhia region and did not allow any positional losses on a 1.5 km sector. In 2025–2026, he organized and ensured the defense of his positions under constant enemy shelling, drone attacks, and assaults.
The Head of State also presented the Cross of Combat Merit awards to five more servicemen. The honor was received by:
Soldier Yaroslav Zhylin. He eliminated enemy assault and sabotage groups, machine-gun crews, directed artillery fire onto enemy positions, and disrupted attempts to bypass Ukrainian positions. In 2026, under enemy fire, he delivered ammunition to his brothers-in-arms, enabling them to hold the line. During one of the combat missions, he was wounded as a result of an enemy drone attack, but despite this and the impossibility of evacuation, he continued to defend the position, remaining there for 220 days.
Soldier Borys Kapelko. Since 2024, as a UAV operator, he has been carrying out combat missions as part of mobile FPV groups. During 2024–2025, he destroyed around 150 occupiers, while nearly 200 more were wounded. He also struck more than 10 tanks, 20 IFVs, 12 ammunition depots, and over 230 enemy dugouts and deployment points.
Colonel Vitalii Nashchubskyi. Commander of the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade named after Koshovyi Otaman Ivan Sirko. Since October 2025, he has been leading assault operations in the Dnipro region. The brigade’s warriors halted the enemy’s advance, destroyed its offensive capabilities, and liberated Novooleksandrivka, Oleksiivka, Vyshneve, and Verbove. During the operation, the brigade’s units eliminated more than 2,000 occupiers, wounded over 500, and captured 22.
Soldier Dmytro Ternopol. From August 2025 until March of this year, he defended Ukraine on the Kostiantynivka axis, remaining in combat positions for over 220 days. During one of the battles, he precisely identified the coordinates of enemy equipment and fortifications. As a result, two IFVs, one artillery gun, and three observation posts were destroyed. He personally eliminated three occupiers and wounded four more. He continued to carry out combat missions even after suffering a concussion from an enemy drone strike.
Soldier Artem Yakovenko. Last autumn and winter, in the Kramatorsk district, he and his brother-in-arms repelled enemy assaults, preventing any breakthroughs. During one of the most intense attacks, he independently corrected artillery fire and engaged in small arms combat while all his brothers-in-arms at the position were wounded. He captured one occupier and obtained important intelligence; ten Russian soldiers were eliminated. Artem Yakovenko also provided first aid to two wounded brothers-in-arms and ensured their evacuation.
In addition, the President awarded defenders with the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, I–III class, and “For Courage,” I–III class, as well as the Medal “For Saved Life.”
The Head of State also awarded battle flags to the 151st and 156th Separate Mechanized Brigades, and distinctions “For Courage and Bravery” to the 23rd, 115th, and 116th Separate Mechanized Brigades.
