President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree awarding 47 representatives of the energy sector with state honors and personally presented ten orders.
“Today is not Power Engineers' Day, but given the attacks we face and what the enemy is doing to our energy infrastructure, you could say that every day is Power Engineers' Day. However, this is not a holiday today; it is real work, and I very much wanted to congratulate you personally. You are doing incredible things,” the Head of State emphasized.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that every job and every profession in Ukraine’s energy sector is now extremely important.
The President stressed that Ukrainian energy workers are wounded on the job and even give their lives while restoring the power supply in Ukraine after the enemy’s terror. Our country will always remember their deeds.
The Head of State presented the Order of Merit, III class, to the electrician of Chernihivoblenergo, Artur Obolensky, who, despite enemy UAV attacks and injuries, continued restoring damaged overhead power lines and helped his wounded colleagues, and to the supervisor of the Ukrenergo Sumy line section, Serhii Tytarenko, whose efforts made it possible to restore a second power source for the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions.
Eight more energy workers, one posthumously, were awarded the Orders “For Courage,” III class. Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the award to the wife of Anatolii Savchenko, a driver at the Chernihiv district of Chernihivoblenergo, who was killed on October 10 this year when a Russian UAV struck during emergency repair work in the Chernihiv region.
The award also went to:
Foreman at Sumyoblenergo, Andrii Yevmenov. He risked his life to help restore damaged power lines in border settlements of the Sumy region.
Electrical fitter at Sumyoblenergo, Viktor Martynenko. He carries out emergency repair work in settlements near the frontline despite shelling and mines.
Foreman of the production site at Zaporizhzhiaoblenergo, Roman Miniailenko. He was injured in a Russian drone attack during restoration efforts near Stepnohirsk in June this year. After treatment, he is ready to return to work.
Electrical fitter at DTEK Kyiv Regional Electric Networks, Oleksandr Seredenko. His team made about 500 trips this year for planned works, emergency repairs, and to address the aftermath of Russian attacks. During one of these trips a few weeks ago, Oleksandr sustained shrapnel injuries.
Foreman of the production site at Kharkivoblenergo, Dmytro Stepanov. He restores cable networks in the most challenging conditions near the combat zone to quickly return electricity to Kharkiv and the region.
Electrical fitter at DTEK Odesa Electric Networks, Maksym Tanitovskyi. He helped prevent fire in one of the remaining transformers and quickly restore power in the Odesa region.
Electrician at Kharkivoblenergo, Serhii Shevchenko. He repaired the effects of massive drone attacks on a substation supplying the Chuhuiv territorial community and critical infrastructure.
Additionally, the Order of Merit, III class, was awarded to:
Service foreman at Khersonoblenergo, Oleksandr Brukhov. In Kherson and across the region, he worked to restore energy facilities and high-voltage lines that had been severely damaged during the Russian occupation of the right bank and after the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP dam.
Electrical fitter at DTEK Kyiv Electric Networks, Serhii Vorovchenko. He has been restoring overhead power lines and supplying Kyiv with electricity since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. In particular, on October 22, his team quickly repaired three damaged lines and restored power after a Russian strike.
Driver at DTEK Odesa Electric Networks, Rudolf Hart. He ensures a rapid transport of repair teams to eliminate malfunctions and restore equipment at energy facilities damaged by Russian shelling.
Foreman of the operations directorate crew at DTEK Kyiv Electric Networks, Roman Horbatiuk. He repaired technological faults on power lines during active combat and continually restores electricity in the capital, including after the October 22 strike.
Electrical fitter of the operations directorate crew at DTEK Kyiv Electric Networks, Viacheslav Dehtiar. Heo has been providing Kyiv with electricity since the start of the Russian invasion, and his team quickly restored power in the capital after the Russian attack on October 22.
Lead engineer at Ukrenergo, Viacheslav Demidenko. He volunteered in the Armed Forces from the first day of the full-scale Russian invasion until March 2023, then returned to restore substations in the Poltava region after Russian strikes.
Electrical fitter at the Sumy line section of Ukrenergo, Oleksandr Dyskyi. He restored the second power source for the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions.
Electrical fitter at the Southern region construction and repair center of Ukrenergo, Yevhen Kobeliov. He restored power to critical infrastructure facilities.
Head of the shop at Ukrgasvydobuvannya, Oleksandr Kozin. Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, he has led firefighting operations. He also personally shut off pipelines carrying hydrocarbons after attacks and planned recovery measures to prevent disruption to production.
Foreman of the Lozova high-voltage electrical network service area, Vitalii Kononenko. He responded to the aftermath of mass UAV attacks in September–October on the substation supplying electricity to critical infrastructure facilities and residents of Lozova. He was among the first to arrive on site to allow emergency crews access.
Driver of the Odessa regional center of the Southern Territorial Network Maintenance Department at Ukrenergo, Serhii Kulinich. He actively participated in urgent restoration work on Ukrenergo’s substations and overhead lines in the Odessa region.
Electrical fitter at Northern Electrical Network District of Kharkivoblenergo, Ruslan Soshchenko. He repeatedly repaired complex damage to cable lines in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kharkiv, ensuring rapid restoration of electricity for consumers.
Electrical fitter at Khersonoblenergo, Vitalii Potseluiev. He restored energy facilities and high-voltage lines in Kherson and the region, which were severely damaged during the occupation of the right-bank part of the Kherson region and by the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP dam by Russia. He also repeatedly came under enemy fire.
Head of central substation service at Kharkivoblenergo, Oleksii Pudov. He performed emergency repairs at the site of the drone strike under threat of repeated attacks.
Foreman at Chernihivoblenergo, Anatolii Toptun. He repeatedly restored electricity in the Bakhmach community. On October 10 this year, he was wounded during emergency repair work as a result of a strike by an enemy drone.
Electrician at Chernihivoblenergo, Oleksandr Chuiko. On October 10 this year, he was wounded by enemy fire while eliminating emergency damage.
Electrical fitter at Ukrenergo, Stanislav Shumskyi. He restored power supply to critical infrastructure facilities.
The Order “For Courage,” III class, was awarded to:
Electrical fitter at Chernihivoblenergo, Viktor Avdienko. He repeatedly restored electricity in the border Novhorod-Siverskyi community after Russian attacks.
Engineer at Ukrtatnafta, Oleksandr Bakhmatskyi. He restored power at substations in the Poltava region and assisted in fire suppression after an enemy strike.
Driver at Zaporizhzhiaoblenergo, Yevhenii Vetrov. In June this year, he promptly evacuated substation staff during a Russian drone attack.
Electrician at Chernihivoblenergo, Vadym Hulenok. He repeatedly carried out emergency repair work in the Novhorod-Siverskyi community, including under Russian heavy artillery fire.
Driver at the Bakhmach district of Chernihivoblenergo, Ruslan Deineha, posthumously. He was wounded on October 10 this year in a Russian drone struck during emergency repair work. The following day, Ruslan Deineha died in the hospital despite doctors’ efforts to save his life throughout the night.
Brigade operator at Poltavagazvydobuvannya branch, Andrii Ivanenko. He was involved in containing and eliminating the aftermath, as well as repairing critical infrastructure.
Electrician at Ternivske Mine Group, Anton Kalinin. He extinguished fires and repaired a high-voltage substation after Russian drone attacks.
Electrician at Kryvyi Rih TPP, Hennadii Krasikov. He took part in containing and eliminating the emergency caused by a Russian strike.
District mechanic at Dnipro HPP branch, Yevhen Krasnokutskyi. He provided transport for emergency and rescue teams and also personally took part in restoring operations after Russian strikes on the Dnipro Hydroelectric Station.
Shop electrician at Kremenchuk HPP branch, Ruslan Miroshnychenko. He took part in restoring power lines to supply electricity to Kyiv and Kharkiv, as well as the “Dnipro–Kirovohrad” and “Dnipro–Inhulets” water pipelines.
Foreman of the Nikopol rapid response brigade, Vitalii Miahkoholov. He carried out urgent switching operations at substations following drone strikes and artillery shelling to restore power in Nikopol. In June this year, he was injured in a drone explosion at a substation.
Shift supervisor of the Kyiv HPP and PSP Cascade, Serhii Nemirovskyi. He managed emergency response at the Kyiv HPP and PSP under conditions of mass attacks on critical infrastructure.
Section Foreman at DTEK Donetsk Electric Networks, Oleksandr Nechytaylo. He restored power lines under active combat conditions to supply electricity to the communities of Kostyantynivka, Dobropillia, and Slovyansk.
Electrical fitter at Kirovohradoblenergo, Roman Novitskyi. He restored power in Svitlovodsk, Oleksandriya, Pomichna, and the “Dnipro–Kirovohrad” water pipeline.
Section foreman at the Heroiv Kosmosu Mine Group, Artem Stepanenko. On October 25 this year, he organized the safe evacuation of nearly 500 mine workers following a Russian drone strike. Under his leadership, the brigade quickly eliminated the aftermath of the attack, allowing the mine to resume operations promptly.
Senior section foreman at DTEK Odesa Electric Networks, Andrii Stupnytskyi. He manages technical connections, builds overhead lines for critical infrastructure, and restores equipment damaged by Russian strikes.
Electrical fitter at Kirovohradoblenergo, Yevhen Tonetov. He restored power supply in the Kirovohrad region, including for the “Dnipro–Kirovohrad” regional water pipeline.
Foreman at Kramatorsk substation group of DTEK High-Voltage Networks, Valentyn Chubuk. He restored substation equipment damaged by Russian shelling in the Kostyantynivka, Druzhkivka, Slovyansk, and Kramatorsk communities under active combat conditions.
Driver and machine operator at DTEK Kyiv Regional Electric Networks, Vadym Chiuchman. His team carried out nearly 500 deployments this year alone. He sustained shrapnel injuries during a Russian attack while addressing a substation malfunction.
Shop shift supervisor at Trypilska TPP, Pavlo Shevchenko. He maintained plant operations and managed on-duty staff during mass Russian attacks on the Trypilska TPP, being present throughout all seven missile and drone strikes on the facility.
