On Sophia Square in Kyiv, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska participated in the events marking Ukraine’s Independence Day.
Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine General Keith Kellogg, the defense ministers of Sweden, Denmark, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, and Canada, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs of the United Kingdom, the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defense of Estonia, and spiritual leaders personally came to congratulate Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.
“Today, Ukraine marks its Independence Day – at war. Defending itself. Under strikes and air alerts. Yet strong. And, very importantly, not alone. And with each passing day, pushing this war more and more back to where it came from – into the Russian sky and onto Russian soil. And with every step of this war there – with the pressure on Russia, with their real losses – we know that peace for Ukraine is drawing closer,” the Head of State noted.
The Prime Minister of Canada congratulated Ukrainians on Independence Day and expressed his respect and support for Ukraine.
“Canada will always be with you. Your cause – freedom, democracy, sovereignty – is our cause. And your history informs our history. I grew up on the Canadian Prairies, where my horizon looked like your flag. Where my classmates bore your names, and where their parents and grandparents spoke your language,” Mark Carney noted.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukrainians and all partners are working together to press Russia toward peace and to achieve guaranteed security. The President thanked everyone who is helping, and all Ukrainian warriors who, for 1,278 days of the full-scale Russian invasion, have been defending Ukraine’s independence.
The memory of the fallen heroes of different times, who gave the most precious thing – their lives – for the sake of Ukraine and its independence, was honored with a moment of silence.
The President presented the Golden Star Orders to the families of the fallen warriors who have been awarded the title Hero of Ukraine:
Senior Soldier Heorhii Pavlov. He repelled assaults by Russian occupiers in the Avdiivka sector. From February 2023 to January 2024, he eliminated 63 enemy infantrymen and wounded about 100 more. In February of last year, three Ukrainian defenders were blocked by a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group. Heorhii Pavlov made his way to them, evacuated his wounded brothers-in-arms, eliminated three Russian soldiers, and captured another one. Heorhii Pavlov was killed on February 15 last year while defending a position near Avdiivka.
Major Vladyslav Solop. As a pilot of an aviation squadron, he carried out 18 combat sorties in the most challenging sectors of the front, striking enemy personnel, command posts, and equipment. On December 14 of last year, he took off for a combat mission to destroy a road bridge over the Konka River in the Kherson region. Major Solop had to operate in extremely difficult conditions, but despite this, he did everything possible to complete the mission. During the launch of air-delivered munitions, after receiving information about a Russian missile launched in his direction, he performed an anti-missile maneuver to get closer to the target. However, his aircraft was shot down. Vladyslav Solop died while steering the damaged aircraft away from the village of Sonyachne.
Senior Soldier Oleksandr Khomiak (National Guard of Ukraine). In August and September of last year, while surrounded together with his brothers-in-arms, he carried out reconnaissance missions. Thanks to his efforts, 10 pieces of armored equipment, 4 mortar crews, 15 UAVs, and about 2 platoons of occupiers were destroyed. On September 15, despite the enemy’s numerical superiority, he engaged in a firefight and eliminated about two enemy squads. During the battle, Oleksandr Khomiak sustained multiple gunshot wounds, but in the final moments of his life, he shielded the entrance for his brothers-in-arms to reach cover, took the blow upon himself, and saved them from shrapnel injuries.
The President personally honored three more Heroes of Ukraine. The nation’s highest award was bestowed upon:
Sergeant (Reserve) Nazar Sapeta, commander of an air assault squad. From December 2022 to September 2023, he defended Ukraine in the Luhansk region and near Chasiv Yar and Klishchiivka in the Donetsk region. In battles, he eliminated at least 65 occupiers. On September 22, 2023, together with his group, he broke through the enemy’s defensive lines, creating the conditions for a subsequent advance. During that battle, Nazar Sapeta sustained a severe blast injury that led to the amputation of both legs.
Captain Pavlo Sevriuk, commander of a strike UAV company. Since July 2022, he has been performing combat missions in the Zaporizhzhia region. Last year, he eliminated enemy assault groups in the village of Robotyne. He operates FPV drones at distances of 40–50 km from the line of contact. Over the course of combat operations, Pavlo Sevriuk has neutralized approximately 250 occupiers, 15 Russian tanks, 45 armored fighting vehicles, 240 vehicles, 77 howitzers, 5 self-propelled artillery systems, 3 multiple launch rocket systems, and 13 air defense systems (including eight Buk-M3s, one Buk-M2, two Tor-M2s, and two Strela-10 systems).
Major Mykola Chernysh (National Guard of Ukraine). At the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, he personally initiated the adaptation of Soviet-era ammunition for use with modern strike UAVs. In the Donetsk region, he developed a combat route and coordinated the launch of a strike UAV that successfully hit a Russian 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled mortar. In the Luhansk region, under his direct leadership and guidance, a Russian Tor air defense system was destroyed, along with 11 pieces of equipment and 9 dugouts housing enemy personnel.
The Head of State presented the Cross of Military Merit to six warriors. The award was bestowed upon:
Junior Sergeant Illia Adamov. He took an active part in combat operations in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. Since last year, he has been defending Ukraine in the Pokrovsk sector. In January of this year, as part of a strike UAV crew, he destroyed an enemy vehicle with infantry and a fuel and lubricants depot, halting an enemy advance. Additionally, within just one month, three more enemy vehicles, two ammunition depots, a tank, and an artillery piece were destroyed.
Sergeant Volodymyr Huzenko. In February of this year, in the Pokrovsk sector, he organized an all-around defense that prevented an enemy flanking maneuver and encirclement. In March, his unit held a strategic position for 18 hours; during that time, he personally eliminated occupiers and captured two Russian servicemen. In one battle, he single-handedly held off the enemy for four hours and later assisted in evacuating wounded brothers-in-arms. Despite suffering a concussion, he continued firing his machine gun and stopped the advance of an enemy assault group.
Lieutenant Dmytro Kravchenko. In challenging combat conditions in Russia’s Belgorod and Kursk regions, as well as in the Sumy region, he restored lost communications between combat groups and the command post, evacuated equipment under heavy shelling, and stopped a cyberattack targeting the command system. Thanks to his actions, 67 occupiers, seven armored vehicles, and two Russian command posts were destroyed.
Soldier Oleksandr Kurtse. From February to July of this year, for 149 days, he held positions near Andriivka in the Pokrovsk sector. He repeatedly repelled enemy assaults, eliminated occupiers, and captured prisoners. He destroyed an enemy IFV and stopped an enemy assault group. Under fire, he rescued wounded brothers-in-arms.
Soldier Yevhen Netesanyi. In the Donetsk region in February of this year, he detected the approach of an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group and was the first to open fire. In March, he held back an enemy advance for 40 minutes, eliminating four occupiers. In May, during an enemy attack, after losing communication and his commander, he rallied a group of soldiers, organized the defense, and thwarted an attempted breakthrough. He was wounded twice and saved six brothers-in-arms from enemy fire.
Colonel Anatolii Sichkar (State Border Guard Service). From September 2024 to January 2025, units under his command inflicted critical losses on the enemy’s “elite” assault units in the Kursk region. Colonel Sichkar personally led personnel to frontline positions and made four trips to the forward edge of the defense line. In total, his unit eliminated more than 180 occupiers, captured four more, and targeted over 120 enemy firing positions and about 60 fortification and infrastructure facilities.
The Head of State also honored defenders with the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 2nd and 3rd Class, and the Orders “For Courage,” 1st and 3rd Class.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented battle flags to the commanders of the 5th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade, the 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade, the 48th Separate Artillery Brigade, the 783rd Separate Brigade for Operational Engineering of the Territory of the State Special Transport Service, and the Support Regiment of the National Guard of Ukraine. He also presented the honorary distinction “For Courage and Bravery” to the Chief of Staff – Deputy Commander of the 21st Separate Mechanized Brigade, the commanders of the 65th “Velykyi Luh” Separate Mechanized Brigade, the 360th Separate Coastal Missile Brigade, the 225th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment, the Head of the Counterintelligence Department of the Security Service of Ukraine, and the Head of the 2nd Border Detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
In addition, the President presented ribbons bearing the honorary title “Podilska” to the commander of the 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade and “Kodatska” to the commander of the 108th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also awarded state honors to medical workers, journalists, volunteers, artists, educators, and religious figures.
The Head of State presented the Order of Merit, 3rd Class, to the wife of the fallen war photographer, cameraman, and reporter Ruslan Hanushchak; the Order of Freedom to service member, paramedic, and volunteer Yuliia “Taira” Paievska; the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 5th Class, to head of the Council of the Odesa Regional Association of Jews – former prisoners of ghettos and Nazi concentration camps Ruvin Shvartsman; the Orders of Merit, 3rd Class, to journalist and volunteer Kateryna Kusmarova and to Deputy Director of the Donetsk Railway regional branch Valerii Savchyshyn; the Order of Princess Olga, 2nd Class, to head of Oberih Mykolayivshchyny NGO Nelli Yarovenko; the Order of Princess Olga, 3rd Class, to singer Susana Jamaladinova (Jamala); and the Medal "For Saved Life" to ambulance driver from the Kherson region Volodymyr Pavliuk.
Separately, Volodymyr Zelenskyy recognized the contributions of Ukraine’s friends around the world and presented the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 5th Class, to Elijah Brown, General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance; the Orders of Merit, 1st Class, to Pål Henning Jonson, Minister of Defense of Sweden, and to General Keith Kellogg, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine; the Order of Merit, 2nd Class, to Martin Jäger, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany to Ukraine; the Orders of Merit, 3rd Class, to Pastor Mark Burns, founder and CEO of The NOW Television Network (USA); to Mridula Ghosh, Senior Lecturer in the Department of International Relations at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and Board Chair at the East European Development Institute (India); to Alan Donaldson, General Secretary of the European Baptist Federation (United Kingdom). The Cross of Ivan Mazepa was presented to Mykhailo Savkiv, President of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (USA).
