President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the warriors for defending Ukraine, presented the highest state awards, and handed over the Orders of the Golden Star to the families of fallen Heroes who were posthumously conferred this title.
The Head of State noted that since the beginning of the full-scale war, over 113,000 Ukrainian defenders from various branches of the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine have been awarded orders and medals, most of them specifically for participation in combat.
“Behind each such combat award is the story of a warrior, the story of a fight against circumstances, the story of a fight against evil, a fight against the occupier. And behind all such our Ukrainian awards is the story of a state that many in the world had written off and once ignored, but which, despite everything, has endured and defends its right to life and independence every day,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
The President remarked that we must protect Ukraine and ensure a normal life for Ukrainian children to be worthy of those who gave their lives for our state. A minute of silence was observed to honor the memory of each person who died for Ukraine.
The Head of State presented the Orders of the Golden Star to the families of fallen Heroes of Ukraine. Those posthumously awarded this title include:
Captain Andrii Antykhovych. On the night of February 24, 2022, he brought a combat aircraft out of harm's way during a missile attack on the airfield. In the following days, he destroyed columns of Russian vehicles — his flight of two aircraft was among the first in Ukraine to seek and destroy them. During his sortie on February 26, a Russian fighter aircraft launched a missile. Andrii Antykhovych realized the hit was unavoidable, reported to his commander that he would provide cover, and changed the plane’s course. The warrior had no opportunity to eject.
Sergeant Yurii Balanchuk. He participated in combat clashes and special operations, during which Ukrainian warriors eliminated senior Russian officers and took some prisoners. Together with his brothers-in-arms, he regained control of the “Tavryda” and “Petro Hodovanets” drilling rigs in the Black Sea. In October 2023, he took part in a special operation in temporarily occupied Crimea. Yurii Balanchuk died on October 4, 2023, during a battle in the Black Sea, ramming one of the enemy boats and ensuring the evacuation for his brothers-in-arms.
Sergeant Pavlo Baltian. He defended Ukraine in the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, and Donetsk regions. He commanded an anti-tank reserve and led the repulsion of an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group attack, organized circular defense, and personally destroyed over 25 occupiers and seven enemy vehicles. He repeatedly evacuated wounded brothers-in-arms under fire. On February 27, 2023, Pavlo Baltian suffered a fatal injury in battle, but thanks to his actions, his subordinates were able to clear an enemy position and hold their ground.
Junior Sergeant Serhii Voloshchuk. On July 20, 2023, as a combat medic, he was carrying out a task in the Kharkiv region. He was blown up by a landmine while in a vehicle. Despite his injury, he engaged in a firefight with an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group and forced it to retreat. Thanks to this, Serhii Voloshchuk saved the lives of many warriors, but he died himself.
Junior Sergeant Roman Holub (National Guard of Ukraine). Using a handheld grenade launcher, he destroyed an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) with its crew and four occupiers, and with automatic rifle fire destroyed another IFV and enemy ammunition. Together with fellow warriors, he found and destroyed 32 grenade launchers, over 80 artillery shells, two anti-tank “Fagot” systems, 18 VOG grenades, and other munitions. Despite being wounded, he covered the retreat of ten brothers-in-arms but died himself.
Senior Soldier Yevhen Horin. He repelled enemy assaults on the Bakhmut direction, where in battle he destroyed over 20 occupiers. He participated in an assault during which he captured a Russian radio station, which helped Ukrainian warriors obtain information on the timing and direction of the enemy attack. On March 15, 2023, Yevhen Horin was killed in artillery fire, covering his brothers-in-arms with his body.
Junior Sergeant Oleksii Dziubka (National Guard of Ukraine). With automatic rifle fire, he eliminated nine occupiers, which later allowed the destruction of enemy equipment, about two infantry platoons, and forced the occupiers to retreat. He was the first to storm an enemy trench and destroy a machine gun crew with a grenade. On December 18, 2023, he remotely detonated a section and killed 12 Russian invaders; nine others were wounded. Later, with a grenade launcher, he hit two armored personnel carriers (APCs) and about 20 infantrymen. However, during the retreat, Oleksiy Dziubka was killed in enemy artillery fire.
Sergeant Hennadii Kernychnyi. Since 2015, he took part in battles in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In 2019, while covering the evacuation of a wounded brother-in-arms, he sustained a severe leg injury that required partial amputation. During the full-scale Russian invasion, despite the prosthesis, he participated in defense, assaults, liberation, and clearing of settlements in the Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Donetsk regions. Hennadii Kernychnyi was killed last year on September 23 in a Russian FPV drone strike on his vehicle.
Lieutenant Colonel Denys Kyryliuk. After the full-scale Russian invasion began, he moved aviation equipment to operational airfields. He completed 62 combat sorties. On February 27, 2023, he destroyed aerial targets flying a Su-27 despite intense Russian air defense and electronic warfare efforts. During one of the missions, Denys Kyrylyuk diverted his damaged aircraft away from the city of Pryluky in the Chernihiv region, but was killed himself.
Junior Sergeant Andrii Kolodiaznyi. He took part in battles in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Personally destroyed an IFV, a T-72 tank, and 12 occupiers. He was wounded, but after recovery, he returned to defend Ukraine. He led an assault group that reclaimed its positions and captured enemy ones, holding the line. On April 14 of last year, Andrii Kolodiaznyi was killed by enemy small arms fire.
Chief Sergeant Yevhenii Lemeshenko. He commanded a special forces group that conducted reconnaissance, including identifying enemy weapons and positions, and clearing mines. His group completed combat missions and captured enemy positions in the Kherson and Kursk directions. Yevhenii Lemeshenko was killed on September 15 last year as a result of artillery fire.
Sergeant Andrii Liniichuk. One of the first Ukrainian warriors to use the man-portable air defense system Starstreak in combat. He shot down 16 Russian Orlan-10 UAVs, one ZALA UAV, and a Ka-52 helicopter. On April 28, 2023, he spotted another drone and attempted to destroy it, but was killed by an enemy artillery strike.
Sergeant Leonid Khelemskyi. As a group commander, he organized the defense of a position in the Bakhmut direction. When three defenders were wounded during shelling, he personally held off the advancing Russian forces and eliminated six occupiers. Later, he carried a severely wounded brother-in-arms to an evacuation point but came under fire and was killed.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also awarded the Order of the Golden Star of the Hero of Ukraine to Chief Sergeant Andrii Orlivskyi (National Guard of Ukraine). In the Donetsk direction, he neutralized 70 explosive devices, enabling assault units to prepare for an offensive. As part of a group, he laid mines that destroyed three enemy tanks, two IFVs, four APCs, and enemy personnel. In the Zaporizhzhia direction, he rescued five crew members from a vehicle engulfed in flames.
In addition, the Head of State awarded ten defenders the Crosses of Military Merit. The awards were presented to:
Lieutenant Colonel Yaroslav Burkovskyi. In December of last year, an airborne assault battalion under his command held the line in the Kursk region. The unit repelled 20 assaults by superior enemy forces, eliminating 27 occupiers and wounding another 61. Yaroslav Burkovskyi also organized a counterattack that prevented Ukrainian forces from being encircled, and a counteroffensive that allowed the restoration of lost positions.
Seaman Yurii Vizinskyi. In February of this year, during assaults and while repelling enemy attacks in the Donetsk region, he eliminated over 30 occupiers, destroyed an ammunition depot, and hit an enemy APC with an RPG shot. Yurii Vizinskyi also covered his brothers-in-arms and organized the defense.
Senior Lieutenant Dmytro Zhukov (National Guard of Ukraine). In the area of the Serebrianskyi forestry, over two days, he eliminated 12 occupiers, provided aid to wounded brothers-in-arms, and organized their evacuation. In the Kharkiv direction, he was the first to engage in battle and killed 15 Russian invaders. On September 28 last year, he was wounded by the explosion of an enemy shell.
Major Serhii Zavaliy. In autumn of last year, as part of a combined unit, he carried out missions in the Kursk region. He repelled enemy assaults by superior forces, destroyed enemy personnel, and ensured the evacuation of the wounded. Despite being wounded himself, he held the position with a brother-in-arms until the evacuation group returned.
Private Andrii Zahainyi. In spring of this year, in the Kharkiv region, he tracked enemy movements, directed fire, eliminated occupiers and their UAVs, engaged in combat against larger enemy forces, and repelled attacks on observation posts. He was wounded but managed to provide aid to himself and a brother-in-arms and brought him to the evacuation point.
Commander of the 46th Separate Airmobile “Podilska” Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Dmytro Kapitula. In October of last year, during an operation in the Kursk region, he made a swift and unexpected decision to counterattack. As a result, Russian troops were cut off from their main forces and struck by artillery: 19 occupiers were eliminated and two were taken prisoner. Dmytro Kapitula has participated in numerous combat engagements and consistently motivated his troops by personal example.
Commander of the 79th Separate Tavrian Air Assault Brigade, Colonel Eduard Kolodii. In July of last year, in the Kurakhove direction, the brigade under his command repelled an enemy assault, destroying six tanks, seven armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) with personnel, 12 motorcycles, and 37 occupiers — forcing the enemy to retreat. Thanks to the leadership and actions of Eduard Kolodii, all tasks assigned to the unit were fully accomplished.
Captain Yevhen Korzhyk. Since January of last year, the strike UAV company under his command has carried out reconnaissance and fire correction missions. As a result, dozens of enemy targets were destroyed — including infantry, artillery, and armored vehicles. In particular, FPV drones launched by his crews attacked enemy positions and equipment during battles near Krynky.
Senior Soldier Rodion Marynskyi (National Guard of Ukraine). In the Bakhmut direction, just 250 meters from enemy firing positions, he evacuated a wounded brother-in-arms. During a four-hour battle, he destroyed an enemy machine gun position and seven occupiers, broke through an encirclement, and helped eight wounded warriors. On June 27 last year, he was wounded while evacuating a fellow warrior.
Senior Sergeant Viacheslav Savchenko. In 2022, he held positions in the Kherson region, and in 2023, he defended and liberated settlements in the Donetsk region. Leading an assault group, he organized a breakthrough, cleared enemy positions, and evacuated the wounded near Krynky. In October last year, he was wounded by an FPV drone but remained at his position and commanded the defense for another four days until reinforcements arrived.
