On the Day of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Air Force warriors, presented them with state awards, and handed over battle flags and ribbons of the honorary distinction “For Courage and Bravery” to unit commanders.
The Head of State thanked the defenders of Ukraine’s skies for their daily dedicated service. Ukraine’s Air Force has demonstrated real skill and readiness to face any challenge: air strikes, air cover, and reconnaissance. Pilots have already carried out 28,000 combat sorties. Over 25,000 Russian aerial targets have been destroyed – including hundreds of combat aircraft and helicopters, thousands of cruise missiles, and tens of thousands of drones.
"In record time, our warriors have mastered the Patriot, SAMP/T, NASAMS, IRIS-T, and other air defense systems. And in the skies, our aces are piloting F-16s and Mirages. What not long ago seemed impossible to many is now a reality," the President noted.
The Head of State emphasized that thanks to the skill and professionalism of every Air Force warrior, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian lives have been saved.
Those present honored the memory of all Air Force warriors who gave their lives for Ukraine and now remain forever in the skies with a moment of silence.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the families of fallen Heroes of Ukraine with the Order of the Golden Star. The highest state title was posthumously awarded to:
Colonel Dmytro Fisher. First-Class Military Pilot. He logged over 1,230 hours in the air. Since 2014, Dmytro Fisher had been providing air support to our troops. With the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, he defended the Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions, carried out air strikes against the enemy near Zmiinyi Island, and struck Russian oil infrastructure. His final flight took place on June 5, 2022, when his Su-27 was hit by enemy air defense over the Zaporizhzhia region.
Captain Vadym Moroz. On the night of February 23–24, 2022, he maneuvered his aircraft out from under a Russian missile strike on the airfield. In the first days of the full-scale war, he destroyed pontoon bridges, armored convoys, refuelers, and enemy crossings in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions. On March 3, 2022, he carried out a strike on an enemy column consisting of over 1,000 pieces of equipment. During this operation, Vadym Moroz’s aircraft was hit by an enemy missile. He was killed but managed to steer his burning aircraft away from a populated area.
Major Pavlo Ivanov. He quickly mastered four types of aircraft, including the F-16. From the first days of the full-scale war, he destroyed enemy equipment, command posts, vehicle columns, and occupying forces. He logged 422 hours of combat flight time, including under conditions of active counteraction by enemy air defense forces and fighter jets. This year, Pavlo Ivanov carried out 30 combat sorties. He was killed during one of them – on April 12 – in the skies over the Sumy region.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also personally presented the Order of the Golden Star to three Heroes of Ukraine.
The Head of State also awarded Air Force warriors with the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd Class, as well as the Orders “For Courage,” 2nd and 3rd Class.
In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented battle flags to the deputy commander of the 107th Separate Aviation Wing and the commander of the 17th Separate Electronic Warfare Battalion. Ribbons of the honorary distinction “For Courage and Bravery” were awarded to the commanders of the 14th Uman Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade and the 19th Separate Pivdennyi Buh Brigade of Special-Purpose Radio and Electronic Intelligence. A ribbon with the honorary title “Vasylkivskyi” was also presented to the head of the 38th Joint Training Center.
