President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy honored Ukrainian warriors with state awards and presented orders and decorations to the families of fallen defenders awarded posthumously.
The Head of State noted that this morning, following Russia’s massive strike, Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Anatolii Kryvonozhko reported on the enemy’s targets and the defense of Ukrainian airspace. According to the President, Ukraine has a significant shortage of air defense missiles, particularly those needed against ballistic threats.
“Among the things that help us significantly make up for the shortage of air defense missiles are, of course, expertise – the expertise of our military, of course, everywhere, and first and foremost, the courage of our Ukrainian men,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The Head of State emphasized that Ukrainian warriors are doing heroic things that many around the world would be unable to do.
“Just last night, more than 30 cruise missiles were shot down by our combat aircraft. The warriors of our mobile fire groups contributed significantly to the shootdowns. We have already brought the interception rate for Russian attack drones to 93%. These are significant results,” the President noted.
According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the most significant argument for international cooperation remains Ukraine’s positions on the front.
“Everything depends on how the front holds, on how Ukrainian society supports the front, of course, and on how society feels gratitude toward the front,” the Head of State noted.
The President thanked everyone who defends Ukraine and called on people to remember each and every person who gave their life for our state. The memory of the fallen warriors was honored with a moment of silence.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the families of fallen Heroes of Ukraine with the Orders of the Golden Star. The highest title was awarded posthumously to:
Lieutenant Maksym Vepryk. Using a handheld anti-tank grenade launcher, he destroyed two enemy tanks and an armored personnel carrier along with its crew. During the battle on December 29, 2024, he eliminated around a squad of occupiers using small arms and hand grenades. When the enemy launched an attack, Maksym Vepryk moved to the other end of the position and continued holding back the enemy. The Russians were forced to retreat, but then shelled Ukrainian positions with artillery and mortars. Maksym Vepryk was killed on the battlefield when an enemy shell exploded.
Chief Sergeant Mykola Hlukhovskyi. He took part in battles for Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and Novopavlivske. He was wounded five times, twice seriously. He organized the withdrawal of personnel and equipment from under enemy fire, unit rotations, and the evacuation of fellow fighters. On June 16, 2025, he suffered a concussion but led an evacuation group. The enemy spotted the group and struck it with an FPV drone. Mykola Hlukhovskyi noticed the approaching drone and shielded three brothers-in-arms with his body.
Soldier Pavlo Lysytsia. In September 2024, during a battle in the Donetsk region, he destroyed two enemy tanks, hit an IFV, and eliminated more than 10 occupiers as part of a T-72 tank crew. The Russians hit the tank in which Pavlo Lysytsia was with his brothers-in-arms. The soldier provided medical assistance to the wounded and drew enemy fire onto himself, allowing two brothers-in-arms to be evacuated to the nearest hospital. He was killed on the battlefield by enemy fire on September 19, 2024.
Soldier Leonid Novik. During battles in the Luhansk region, he eliminated nearly 20 occupiers, hit a tank, and destroyed two enemy combat vehicles. In May 2024, during a battle, despite being wounded, he provided medical assistance to his brothers-in-arms and returned to his firing position. Leonid Novik ordered the soldiers to withdraw while he remained at the position. For 45 minutes, he held back the enemy advance on his own, but suffered fatal wounds.
Senior Soldier Anatolii Stepanenko. In June 2025, together with his brothers-in-arms and under fire from Russian drones, machine guns, and artillery, he stopped an assault by enemy armored vehicles and infantry. The fighters destroyed three pieces of equipment and more than 20 occupiers. On the night of August 6, during a battle near Chasiv Yar, as the group’s commander, he offered to draw the enemy drones’ attention to himself so that part of the group could change positions without being detected. Anatolii Stepanenko bought time for his brothers-in-arms but was killed by a Russian drone strike.
Junior Sergeant Yurii Stron. Despite being wounded, he returned to combat missions after completing rehabilitation. On March 28, 2025, Yurii Stron held a position near Toretsk on his own and was wounded by an enemy drone strike. He managed to hand over command and maintain control over a group of warriors, helping prevent additional losses, but he himself was killed.
The Head of State presented the Crosses of Military Merit to the families of fallen service members. It was awarded posthumously to:
Colonel Vladyslav Lemeshev. Since February 2022, he had been involved in identifying enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups and collaborationists, carrying out counterterrorism activities and reconnaissance missions to adjust artillery fire. As part of combat groups, he also neutralized occupiers hiding in the forests of the Sumy region. He took part in the Kursk operation. On November 20, 2025, he sustained fatal injuries in an enemy drone attack.
Staff Sergeant Dmytro Lozitskyi. He took part in combat operations in the north of the country. He carried out reconnaissance missions and directed artillery fire at enemy vehicle convoys. He took part in the operation in the Kursk region. He gathered intelligence on enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups in temporarily occupied territories. On April 24, 2025, while returning from a combat mission, he sustained fatal injuries when an enemy drone attacked his armored vehicle.
Senior Sergeant Volodymyr Miskiv. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, he had carried out missions in the Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk regions. In October 2024, in the Pokrovsk direction, he identified enemy positions and thwarted Russian attempts to launch an assault, destroying four invaders who were moving at the front. On October 28, 2024, he identified and destroyed three occupiers who were attempting to take up a position in the village of Bohoiavlenka. He was killed by mortar fire while returning from a mission.
Junior Sergeant Hryhorii Ushakov. As a combat medic in September last year in the Donetsk region, he reached a position under enemy fire to provide medical assistance to two wounded warriors and evacuate them. During another mission, he eliminated a machine gunner and was among the first to break into an enemy trench. On October 25, 2025, near Siversk, he provided medical assistance to three reconnaissance team warriors wounded in battle and, under fire, carried a wounded brother-in-arms out for evacuation. That same day, while clearing one of the buildings, he eliminated three occupiers but sustained fatal wounds in the fighting.
The President presented the Heroes of Ukraine with the Orders of the Golden Star. The highest state award was presented to:
Junior Sergeant Roman Monhold. He eliminated around 40 occupiers. He was wounded three times but never left his unit. During a battle last September, he drew fire onto himself, allowing his fellow warriors to regroup. He held the position alone and repelled an enemy assault.
Captain Lieutenant Anton Sobolevskyi. As commander of an artillery boat unit, he organized launch sites for boats to support Ukrainian marines under enemy fire. In spring 2024, he was wounded when enemy drones dropped grenades onto his boat during a mission. Over nearly two years, the boat group under his command carried out around 40 combat missions to transport airborne troops to the left bank of the Dnipro, rotate warriors, evacuate the wounded, and deliver weapons.
The Cross of Military Merit was awarded to:
Senior Soldier Andrii Amelin. From November last year through March this year, he continuously carried out combat missions on the front line in the Bakhmut district. For 142 days, he remained on combat duty under constant artillery fire and Russian drone strikes. He destroyed drones with small arms and took part in evacuating the wounded.
Senior Sergeant Serhii Bodnia. In September 2025, he ensured the evacuation of residents from the Pokrovsk district, which an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group attempted to disrupt. He eliminated five occupiers. On October 1, he destroyed a camouflaged enemy grenade launcher and four Russians. On his way back to his position, he came under machine-gun fire and hit it with grenade-launcher fire. During the battle, he destroyed three machine-gun crews and up to 10 infantrymen, and evacuated personnel from under fire in time.
Senior Sergeant Yaroslav Herhush. He personally eliminated six occupiers, hit a gun, two tanks, and around 30 enemy drone launch sites. Overall, more than 1,050 targets were identified and hit under his command. During 294 days at combat positions, Yaroslav Herhush also repeatedly provided assistance to wounded brothers-in-arms and organized their evacuation.
Senior Lieutenant Oleksandr Zdrobylko. Since February 2022, he has taken part in battles in the Lyman, Avdiivka, Pokrovsk, and Toretsk directions. He successfully organized fortification systems at various positions. During a three-day enemy assault involving tanks and IFVs, he repelled the attack and saved the lives of his brothers-in-arms. Under difficult conditions, he ensured that the positions were held for an extended period and that the troops successfully withdrew from a potential encirclement.
Major Yevhenii Lakhnenko. He carried out combat missions in the Kharkiv region. Under constant shelling, he restored communications to coordinate units and adjust artillery fire, and provided electronic concealment during the movement of equipment and evacuation of the wounded. On October 9, 2025, under intense enemy fire, he attempted to restore a damaged electronic warfare system and was seriously wounded by an enemy FPV drone.
Senior Soldier Oleksandr Mykytsel. Last year, during an enemy assault in the Pokrovsk district, he eliminated two enemy fighters. Later, he detected a group of occupiers in the no-man’s-land, eliminated two and wounded another. He provided assistance to a seriously wounded fellow warrior and eliminated three enemies, allowing the attack to be repelled. In October, his group withdrew from its position to an evacuation point under difficult conditions, covering 40 kilometers over two days.
Junior Sergeant Oleksii Tosmuk. While checking neighboring positions, which had been blocked by debris as a result of enemy shelling, he and his brother-in-arms freed six wounded National Guard warriors and organized their evacuation. He sustained multiple wounds during a massive Russian artillery barrage but remained at his position. He provided medical assistance to a wounded fellow warrior and moved him to a safe place, from where they were later evacuated.
Senior Soldier Andrii Chernykh. He prepared firing and launch positions for UAVs in the Donetsk region. He led a group defending a position and eliminated two Russian assault troops. When enemy artillery destroyed his position, he provided assistance to two wounded fellow fighters and carried out a three-day evacuation on foot. When they were ambushed, he hid his fellow fighters and engaged the enemy, forcing the occupiers to retreat. When the enemy dropped a grenade, he shielded his brother-in-arms from it and was wounded, but managed to evacuate the warriors.
The President also honored the defenders with the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, I class, and “For Courage,” I class.
