Ahead of the Day of Defenders of Ukraine, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Ukrainian warriors, presented them with state awards and military ranks, and presented combat flags, “For Courage and Bravery” ribbons, and ribbons bearing honorary names to units of the Defense Forces.
The Head of State thanked the military for defending Ukraine, for holding a strong front line, and for carrying out active operations.
“In the fifth year of the full-scale war, Russia looks very different on the front from what it wanted to look – and this is solely thanks to you, thanks to the determination of our troops, the training of our warriors, and the well-planned operations of our army – of Ukraine’s Defense and Security Forces,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
The President stressed that Ukrainian warriors are doing everything to destroy Russian military logistics, strike capabilities, and the enemy’s infiltration efforts.
“It is our warriors who hold the advantage in the use of technology on the front, and often, under difficult, tough conditions, with smaller forces and under the constant threat of strikes – including guided aerial bombs and other Russian attacks – our military achieves the results Ukraine and the Ukrainian people need,” the Head of State noted.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that the heroism of Ukrainian service members is critically important to ensuring that Ukraine can live, function, defend its independence and its right to life.
“Right now, things are difficult in many cities and communities on the home front, including the capital, because of constant Russian attacks – with “shaheds” and missiles – against energy infrastructure, critical infrastructure, literally against life itself,” the President said.
According to the Head of State, Russia is escalating and trying to break Ukraine, especially ahead of winter. Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine is striking back at the aggressor, developing new weapons, and fighting for new support from its partners.
“I want to thank all of you and your brothers and sisters-in-arms for your courage, for your skill. Thank you for Ukraine,” the President said.
The Head of State called on everyone to always remember and honor the fallen heroes. Those present observed a moment of silence in their memory.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the Orders of the Golden Star to Heroes of Ukraine. The highest state honor was awarded to:
Lieutenant Serhii Zhukovin. He took part in battles in the Kharkiv, Dnipro, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions. In June 2022, he was the first to successfully use an FPV kamikaze drone. During his first month and a half of combat missions in the Bakhmut area, he destroyed 35 enemy reconnaissance drones. Under his command, the unmanned systems unit destroyed around 150 reconnaissance drones and more than 420 strike UAVs between April and August this year alone.
Soldier Oleh Ponomarenko. He took part in battles in the Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk regions. He continuously carried out missions on the front line for three months. Every day, he engaged in firefights with the enemy. He eliminated more than 25 occupiers and wounded more than 30 others. The unit under his command repeatedly engaged larger enemy groups and destroyed them.
The President presented the Crosses of Military Merit to the following warriors:
Senior Soldier Yevhen Khomenko. The group under his command held a position on the front line of defense near Dobropillia for 140 days under difficult conditions, without losing a single service member. Later, he provided medical assistance to all personnel wounded by four Russian FPV drone strikes on the position and organized the delivery of medical supplies.
Junior Sergeant Andrii Hulenko. From October 2024 to July 2025, he took part in the Kursk operation. During that time, he saved the lives of more than 20 warriors, carrying out more than 40 evacuation missions under enemy fire. Since last autumn, he has been defending Ukraine in the Sumy region.
Junior Sergeant Oleksandr Vovchenko. He carried out combat missions in the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions and took part in the liberation of Kherson. During the defense of the Donetsk region, he eliminated around 140 occupiers in May 2025 alone. This helped stop all of the enemy’s attempts to advance.
Senior Lieutenant Denys Stepaniuk. In April 2026, as commander of assault and reconnaissance groups, he led efforts to repel enemy attacks and successfully breached the enemy’s defenses near Berezove. He captured enemy communications equipment and eliminated more than 60 occupiers.
Senior Lieutenant Ihor Samchuk. From December 2025 to April 2026, he carried out several successful operations to defend the Dnipro region. In particular, he coordinated the unit’s air defense and anti-tank strikes to destroy enemy armored vehicles and quad bikes. Despite intense enemy air attacks, he organized and ensured the uninterrupted combat operations of FPV interceptor crews to effectively protect Ukrainian positions.
Major Artem Rohovets. In May and June 2026, marine infantry battalion units under his command launched successful offensive operations in the Kharkiv region. Assault groups, aerial reconnaissance, and attack UAVs cleared around 2 square kilometers of territory.
Senior Soldier Mykola Prykhodko. Last year, under heavy enemy fire, he drove an armored personnel carrier to the positions and delivered the fighters without losses, then eliminated three occupiers. Later, while carrying out a combat mission, he drove the APC out from under enemy artillery and drone attacks, but it was hit by an anti-tank guided missile. Despite being wounded, Mykola Prykhodko evacuated all his brothers-in-arms to safety.
Rus. Last August, under enemy fire, he rescued wounded brothers-in-arms from under the rubble and helped evacuate them. He organized the defense of the position during an enemy assault and eliminated three Russians. Thanks to him, the enemy was unable to break through to the rear, and all attempts were stopped.
Lieutenant Colonel Denys Sliusar. Last November in the Donetsk region, he bypassed a dangerous section of an enemy position and eliminated three occupiers. A special operations group quickly cleared the enemy position and eliminated four more Russians. Denys Sliusar led the warriors back to the rear for rotation, and the group suffered no casualties.
Senior Soldier Petro Hromliuk. Last year, as part of an APC crew, he built defensive fortifications that helped save the lives of his brothers-in-arms and repel an enemy assault. In October 2025, after an enemy drone struck the armored personnel carrier, he helped two brothers-in-arms get out of the vehicle despite being wounded himself. During the evacuation, he was wounded again by an FPV drone strike.
The Head of State also presented warriors with the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, I and III classes, and “For Courage,” I–III classes.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented combat flags to the 159th Separate Mechanized Brigade, the 411th Separate “Yastruby” Unmanned Systems Brigade, the 33rd Separate Engineer Regiment, the 8th “Harmash” Artillery Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, and the 7th “Hrehit” Artillery Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine.
The “For Courage and Bravery” distinction was presented to the 5th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade, the 42nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Hero of Ukraine Valerii Hudz, the 414th “Magyar’s Birds” Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade, and the 24th Separate Aviation Squadron of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
The President also presented ribbons bearing honorary names to unit commanders: the 33rd Separate Mechanized Brigade was given the honorary name “named after Dmytro ‘Baida’ Vyshnevetskyi,” while the 194th Separate Pontoon-Bridge Brigade of the State Special Transport Service was given the honorary name “Samar.”
The Head of State awarded the rank of brigadier general to Emil Ishkulov, commander of the 11th Army Corps of the Operational Command “East.”
