On the Day of the Special Operations Forces, which Ukraine will now celebrate annually on May 27, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with SOF warriors and the families of fallen Heroes and presented state awards.
Yesterday, the Head of State signed a decree establishing the new date for the Special Operations Forces Day. According to President Zelenskyy, this decision reflects the request made by the SOF warriors themselves and honors one of the most heroic pages in SOF history – the liberation of Donetsk airport from militants.
“On May 26, 2014, the airport buildings were retaken from the enemy, and on May 27, they were brought fully under control. This became an example of how Ukrainian special forces operate: swiftly, decisively, and effectively,” the President stated.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that during the war, the Special Operations Forces have carried out thousands of extremely difficult missions. The Head of State highlighted the SOF’s contributions in the Donetsk and Kharkiv directions, their participation in the Kursk operation, their active engagement in southern Ukraine, their defense of the northern regions, and the protection of Kyiv at the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
“Wherever the situation is most difficult, our SOF units are deployed – and everywhere, we can truly rely on your reliability and ability to achieve goals for Ukraine,” he stressed.
The Head of State thanked the entire SOF personnel, every family of the defenders, for raising such Ukrainian heroes, and all those who pass on the experience of the special forces to younger warriors.
“Ukraine will always remember everything that the exceptionally brave Ukrainian Special Operations Forces have done for the independence of Ukraine, for our state. We are proud of you and honor all those who gave their lives for Ukraine, for everyone in Ukraine, for the Ukrainian people,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The memory of the fallen warriors was honored with a moment of silence.
The President presented the Orders of the Golden Star to the families of three fallen Heroes and conferred the highest state award on another SOF warrior.
These warriors carried out combat missions in some of the most challenging sectors of the front: in battles in the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions. They distinguished themselves during special operations in the temporarily occupied territories, behind enemy lines, and on the territory of the Russian Federation, including in the Kursk region.
The servicemembers held the line under conditions of overwhelming enemy superiority in manpower and weaponry. They repelled Russian attacks, halted advances, held strategically important positions under fire, and liberated settlements. They led units out of enemy encirclement, shielded their brothers-in-arms from enemy fire, set up ambushes, and captured occupiers to obtain valuable intelligence and replenish the exchange fund. Despite risks to their own lives, they provided aid to wounded brothers-in-arms and evacuated them from the battlefield.
The Head of State also awarded 14 more defenders – both men and women – with the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and “For Courage”, I–III class.
The event was also attended by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov, Commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Trepak, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Lytvynenko, Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, and Deputy Head of the Office of the President Pavlo Palisa.
