President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska took part in events marking the 35th anniversary of the restoration of Ukraine’s independence, held on Sophia Square in Kyiv.
The Head of State noted that 35 years ago, many did not believe that Ukraine would be independent.
“Ukrainians restored the independence of their country. Ukrainians preserved the independence of their country. And we will certainly defend Ukraine’s independence. There is no doubt about that. Ukraine will always be independent. Thirty-five years of independence – for us, this is not simply some single period in the history of our region and Europe. It is not something accidental, and certainly not something that can be left behind somewhere after the next sharp turn of history,” the President emphasized.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that those whose minds are still deeply rooted in the 20th century and earlier eras, and who long for the times when a handful of figures could divide half the world among themselves, are isolated from reality and do not feel the strength of the dreams shared by millions of Ukrainians and other free people around the world – the dream of living their own lives.
“Our Sophia Square has already borne witness to this very dream time and again. Many words and many hopes have been voiced in this square. But now a fact is being voiced here – a fact proven by the strength and resilience of our people in the full-scale war. Ukrainians will not be paving stones under the feet of tsars and rulers. Ukrainians will not be bargaining chips in disputes between capitals. Ukrainians will not submit to what they do not believe in, and they certainly will not abandon their dream – the dream of living, the dream of living independently,” the Head of State emphasized.
The President noted that among the Heroes of Ukraine are those born during the years of Ukraine’s independence. In particular, Nazarii Hryntsevych (Grenka) and Stepan Chubenko, who did not witness that historic day in 1991, did not personally know those who wrote the Act of Declaration of Independence and those who established the first ties between independent Ukraine and the world. But they had that same spirit that preserved the strength of the Ukrainian people, that same faith in Ukraine, and the courage that unites many Ukrainian heroes across different eras and inspires the world to stand with Ukraine.
“We are confident in Ukraine because we are confident in our people who will not betray it – in millions of such people. People who may come from Vinnytsia or Kramatorsk, Dnipro or Zaporizhzhia, Odesa or Kharkiv, Lviv or Kyiv, Sevastopol or Uzhhorod, but who are equally Ukrainian, equally courageous, and equally dreamers – in the strong sense of the word – people who do not give up when the dream and Ukraine must be defended,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The President thanked the defenders, their families, and all Ukrainian men and women who have done and continue to do everything to keep Ukraine free. Those present observed a moment of silence in memory of those who gave their lives defending the country.
The Head of State presented the Orders of the Golden Star to the families of the fallen Heroes of Ukraine. The country’s highest title was awarded posthumously to:
Staff Sergeant Yevhen Hetmanchuk. The group under his command eliminated more than 20 occupiers and captured five, including the head of a command post. He was wounded but continued fighting. He took part in the evacuation of wounded brothers-in-arms. On March 21, 2025, while evacuating warriors, he opened fire on the occupiers but sustained a fatal wound.
Junior Lieutenant Nazarii Hryntsevych (Grenka). A defender of Azovstal, he endured Russian captivity and returned to the front. On May 6, 2024, in the Luhansk region, he led a group of volunteers that advanced into territory not under Ukrainian control to direct artillery fire. The group successfully took up a position and transmitted precise targeting data. As a result, a mortar team, an air defense unit, and an enemy platoon command post were destroyed. While moving to another position, he triggered a booby trap but managed to transmit information about the mined area. By doing so, Nazarii Hryntsevych protected the lives of members of another group advancing in that direction. He died of his wounds on May 6, 2024.
Junior Lieutenant Nazar Kravchuk. During an assault on enemy positions near Selydove, he came under massive artillery fire but managed to eliminate two occupiers and enable the group to continue advancing. Two days later, on November 3, 2024, while conducting aerial reconnaissance, he again came under artillery fire and was wounded. He administered first aid to himself and a brother-in-arms and found shelter. During a repeated strike, he shielded the wounded serviceman with his own body but died of his wounds.
Colonel Oleksii Popovych. At the head of a special group, he conducted reconnaissance operations to obtain information about the enemy and laid mines along routes used by enemy forces and equipment. He took part in the special operation on Zmiinyi Island. On August 30, 2025, in the Zaporizhzhia region, while clearing the area of enemy forces together with a group of Ukrainian defenders, he encountered the enemy. Shielding his brothers-in-arms with his own body to save them, he sustained fatal wounds.
Major Vitalii Tymofieiev. During fighting in the Donetsk region, he led a mobile fire team that was ambushed by the enemy. He eliminated two invaders and was wounded, but despite significant blood loss, he continued to command the battle. He organized the evacuation of wounded brothers-in-arms. He covered the fighters’ withdrawal to another position with fire and, at the cost of his own life, saved eight servicemen. He was killed on April 21, 2024, fighting back until the very end.
The President presented the Orders of the Golden Star to the Heroes of Ukraine. The country’s highest state award was presented to:
Chief Sergeant Rostyslav Vardanian. He was the first to develop and employ the “Sitka” drone interception tactic, which enabled him to destroy around 320 enemy UAVs in the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv regions. He eliminated an elite enemy crew, saving 120 wounded brothers-in-arms. In May–June 2026, during the counteroffensive in the Donetsk region, he destroyed around 90 enemy drones and a drone launch position, and enabled 150 warriors to advance 6 kilometers and establish 30 new positions. On June 16, he stepped on a mine and was wounded, but continued coordinating his crew while making his way 11 kilometers to the evacuation point on his own.
Seaman Volodymyr Vereshchaka. He takes part in amphibious, logistics, and evacuation operations in the Kherson region and the waters of the Dnipro River delta. In July last year, the boat on which he was evacuating critically wounded servicemen was struck by a Russian FPV drone. Despite being wounded, Volodymyr Vereshchaka shot down a second drone and brought his brothers-in-arms to safety. After treatment, he returned to service. In total, from July 2024 to December 2025, he carried out around 90 combat crossings of the Dnipro, transported more than 500 warriors, evacuated four fallen and more than 40 wounded fighters, and personally destroyed more than 40 enemy drones.
Petro Nasikovskyi, Flight Commander of the Special Aviation Detachment of the Civil Protection Operational and Rescue Service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. The crew under his command carried out 120 helicopter water drops, helping prevent a man-made disaster and minimize the consequences of Russian missile strikes. While filling the water-dropping device, a technical problem arose that could have resulted in its loss. Petro Nasikovskyi managed to maintain control of the helicopter and return it safely to the takeoff site.
Chief Sergeant Serhii Panaiotov. A technician in a special operations aerial reconnaissance group and a participant in the defense of the Donetsk region. On April 3, 2026, while on night duty, he detected a 12-man enemy group preparing for an assault. He immediately reported it, confirmed the coordinates, and proceeded to the drone launch area. Using a Vampire-type drone, he personally carried out a series of successful combat sorties and destroyed three groups of occupiers.
Captain Serhii Panfilov. On September 1, 2025, while carrying out a mission on the outskirts of Kostiantynivka, his group’s armored vehicle was ambushed. Under heavy enemy fire, Serhii Panfilov opened the armored door and eliminated two occupiers with bursts of automatic fire, thereby saving the crew. On November 17, he destroyed an enemy FPV drone with small arms and provided aid to a wounded serviceman. While advancing farther through a forest belt, he stepped on a mine and sustained severe wounds, but despite his critical condition, continued coordinating his subordinates to help them avoid the mined area.
Junior Lieutenant Vladyslav Polskyi. On August 15, he rescued two wounded defenders who came under an enemy drone attack after successfully completing a combat mission in the Kharkiv region. A UGV sent to evacuate them was also attacked by UAVs. The wounded warriors were left in open terrain and could have been struck again at any moment. Assault company commander Vladyslav Polskyi decided to go after them personally. He evacuated both defenders from the battlefield.
The President also presented warriors with the Cross of Military Merit. The award was presented to:
Soldier Taras Vivcharyk. In January of this year, as part of a composite infantry group, he made a 2.4-kilometer march on foot to the village of Lukyanivske in the Zaporizhzhia region, where, under difficult conditions, the warriors established round-the-clock perimeter defense of an observation post. Enemy assault groups used this area to infiltrate the village and build up forces for a further offensive. From January 16 to February 15, the defenders repelled several attacks by the occupiers, eliminating five Russians and capturing seven more.
Lieutenant Andrii Kryvokhyzhyn. In November 2025, an enemy FPV drone struck the vehicle he was driving during a combat mission in the Kharkiv region. The lieutenant was seriously wounded, but despite this, he shot down three FPV drones with a shotgun, pulled other wounded servicemen from the vehicle, and provided them with aid. During missions this winter, he eliminated more than 20 occupiers in total. He also evacuated seven wounded defenders.
Junior Sergeant Mykhailo Popov. He has defended Ukraine since February 27, 2022. He took part in establishing the Bohomoly aerial reconnaissance unit. He guarded the border area of the Volyn region and defended the Mykolaiv region from enemy attacks. Since December 2023, he has defended Bakhmut. He trained as an FPV drone pilot and carried out combat missions in eastern Ukraine, including in the area of the Serebrianskyi Forest. His FPV crew has destroyed an enemy tank, an armored personnel carrier, four Ural trucks, a UAZ (“Bukhanka”), a buggy, two infantry fighting vehicles, and two mortars.
The Head of State also awarded defenders with the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, I–II class, and the Order “For Courage,” I class.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented battle flags to the commanders of the 14th Brigade of Ships for the Protection of the Water Area, the 20th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces, the 532nd Separate Repair and Recovery Regiment, and the 39th Regiment of the National Guard of Ukraine.
The honorary distinction “For Courage and Bravery” was received on behalf of their units by the commanders and chiefs of the 31st Separate Mechanized Brigade named after General-Khorunzhyi Leonid Stupnytskyi, the 141st Separate Mechanized Brigade, the 82nd Separate Airborne Assault Bukovynska Brigade, the 1st Separate Unmanned Systems Center, and the 26th Border Guard Detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
The Head of State also presented awards to Ukrainian civilians.
The Order of State of the Hero of Ukraine was presented to the family of volunteer Oleksii Yukov, head of the Platsdarm search team, who was posthumously conferred this title. For more than 25 years, he searched for and helped return the fallen – initially the remains of soldiers killed during World War II, and after Russia launched its war in 2014, he dedicated himself to searching for, evacuating, and returning the bodies of fallen military personnel and civilians. In particular, he took part in recovering the bodies of the fallen from the area of Ilovaisk. During the full-scale war, the search team he led recovered around 2,000 fallen from combat zones. On August 5 of this year, in the Donetsk region, the vehicle in which he and his team were returning struck a mine.
The President presented the Order of the Golden Star of the Hero of Ukraine to the family of Stepan Chubenko, a school student from Kramatorsk and goalkeeper for the local FC Avanhard. He helped Ukrainian servicemen and elderly residents of the city, openly expressed patriotic views, and removed the flag of the terrorist so-called DPR from the city square. He was detained by Russian militants in the summer of 2014. The terrorists brutally tortured the boy for several days and shot him dead on July 27.
The President also presented awards to diplomats, athletes, journalists, artists, doctors, volunteers, architects, representatives of local government, and clergy. Among the recipients were shooting champion Olena Kostevych, artist Anatoly Kryvolap, singer Zlata Ognevich, and Superhumans CEO Olga Rudnieva.
According to the decree on state awards marking the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, journalist and radio host Viktor Leshyk was also honored. On August 24, 1991, live on Ukrainian Radio, he announced the proclamation of Ukraine’s independence. Also honored were Borys Maksymov and Vasyl Lopata (posthumously), who created the design of the first Ukrainian hryvnia banknotes in 1996. Architect and restoration specialist Yurii Losytskyi was also honored. Among other projects, he served as chief architect for the reconstruction of St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral and the Church of the Nativity of Christ, designed the monument to Princess Olga in Kyiv, and co-designed the monument to Yaroslav the Wise, also in Kyiv. Ukrainian artist Oleksandr Borodai was honored posthumously. He took part in the restoration of St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral, including the “Last Judgment” composition.
Among those honored were the ideologists and founding fathers of the Chervona Ruta Festival. Musicologist Taras Melnyk (posthumously), musician Oleh Repetskyi, and musicologist and pianist Anatolii Kalenychenko were awarded the Order of Merit, II class, while violinist and composer Kyrylo Stetsenko received the Order of Merit, III class.
Members of the Verkhovna Rada of the first convocation were also honored. They are Ivan Zaiets, Bohdan Horyn, and Vasyl Chervonii (posthumously) – founders of the modern Ukrainian state.
