On Military Intelligence Day, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Ukrainian intelligence officers, congratulated them on the occasion, and honored them with state awards.
The Head of State thanked the intelligence officers for the information that helps Ukraine make the necessary decisions, advance diplomacy, and plan important operations whose impact Russia feels.
“Your history is the defense of our state and the role intelligence officers have played in the key battles of this war. I want to thank you for defending our capital – alongside all the Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine – in the first key battle of the full-scale war, the battle for our capital. I thank you for the operation to liberate Zmiinyi Island – a success achieved largely thanks to you, the Navy, and, of course, our army – Ukraine’s first victory of this scale in the Black Sea in this war,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
The President thanked Ukrainian intelligence officers for their bold operations on the front lines and for supporting our army and all the other branches of Ukraine’s Defense and Security Forces.
The Head of State emphasized that Ukrainians defending our country have become true brothers-in-arms and that it is important to value the contribution of every branch of Ukraine’s Defense and Security Forces to our country’s defense.
“Everyone has, in one way or another, used information gathered by military intelligence. In one way or another, our warriors from different branches of Ukraine’s Defense and Security Forces have fought and continue to fight alongside one another, every day, shoulder to shoulder. And that is how it must remain. Brotherhood within each branch of Ukraine’s Defense and Security Forces is part of what unites our entire society. Ukrainians win when they support one another. Thank you for this approach – and for your combat and intelligence work,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted.
The President wished the intelligence officers further success in defending Ukraine against Russia.
“May your organization’s name always be associated with a history of warriors, analysts, and gatherers of information vital to our country – brave, daring in the best sense of the word, and always effective – for Ukraine. And may your contribution to Ukraine’s unity always be felt,” the Head of State emphasized.
The President called for remembering every man and woman who gave their life for Ukraine. A moment of silence was observed in honor of Ukraine’s fallen intelligence officers.
The Head of State honored the warriors with the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, II and III class; the Order “For Courage,” I–III class; the Order of Danylo Halytskyi; the Medal “For Military Service to Ukraine”; and the Medal “To the Defender of the Motherland.”