President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated warriors on the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, presented them with state awards, and handed combat flags, honorary distinction ribbons “For Courage and Bravery,” and a ribbon bearing an honorary name to unit commanders.
The Head of State emphasized that this holiday celebrates the Armed Forces of a country that knows how to defend itself and stands so firmly that there is simply no one in the world who could afford to disregard our state.
“And even those in the world who still do not believe in Ukraine, or simply do not know enough about our state, are still compelled to reckon with how Ukraine will respond,” the President said.
According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine now holds strong positions in negotiations precisely because Ukrainians stand firmly in our army, uphold our statehood, and defend our independence.
“While defending Ukraine, our army has evolved to the point that it now serves in many ways as a model for other armies around the world. But the changes must continue, and they will. Our army must be as modern as possible in every respect,” the President stressed.
The Head of State thanked every family of Ukrainian warriors and called on everyone to always remember relatives, friends, acquaintances, and strangers – all Ukrainians who gave their lives for Ukraine. Attendees observed a moment of silence in honor of all fallen Ukrainian warriors.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the Orders of the Golden Star to the families of fallen Heroes of Ukraine. The highest state award was bestowed upon:
Senior Sergeant Ihor Zhuravel. He provided crucial intelligence and captured a Russian radio station, eliminating four occupiers, organized the evacuation of the wounded, and covered their movement. On August 10 last year, he sustained two consecutive injuries but did not cease fire. In this battle, Ihor Zhuravel eliminated about 20 invaders, ensured the regrouping of units and evacuation of the wounded, but was killed by a third injury during artillery fire.
Junior Sergeant Vitalii Karvatskyi. He voluntarily mobilized into the Territorial Defense Forces at the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. He carried out combat missions on the fiercest sectors of the front, including the Avdiivka and Pokrovsk directions. From April 2024, he served as an FPV drone operator on the Kharkiv axis, destroying over 600 enemy infantry and dozens of armored vehicles. Vitalii Karvatskyi was killed on June 12 this year by an enemy FPV drone strike.
Soldier Oleh Yarovyi. In August last year, in the Donetsk region, he defended a position alone for a week against Russian attacks. In December, armed with only one machine gun, he eliminated more than 20 occupiers. Self-taught in drone operations, he used them to evacuate the wounded, deliver ammunition, and adjust fire. Oleh Yarovyi was killed on July 10 this year in a rifle engagement, defending his position to the last.
Three more Heroes of Ukraine were personally honored by the President. Awards went to:
Commander of the 414th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Senior Lieutenant Andrii Klymenko. He participated in the defense of Kyiv and battles in the Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Donetsk regions. From June to September this year, the unit under Andrii Klymenko’s command struck over 10,000 Russian military personnel.
Soldier Liubomyr Mikalo. He took part in battles in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, and Sumy regions from April 2022, repeatedly repelling enemy assaults despite being heavily outnumbered. Wounded several times, he continued defending Ukraine. From May to July, he held positions for 41 days, repelling 17 Russian assaults and personally eliminating at least 25 occupiers.
Junior Sergeant Serhii Tyshchenko. Since June 24 last year, a combat medic has remained on the front lines without rotation for 471 consecutive days, saving the lives of his brothers-in-arms who were holding back multiple enemy assaults in the Bakhmut district. He repeatedly rescued wounded brothers-in-arms at the risk of his own life. Despite the opportunity to rotate out earlier, Serhii Tyshchenko refused to leave his unit.
In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded defenders the Crosses of Military Merit. Recipients included:
Major Vladyslav Kotov. Pilot of Su-25 attack aircraft and MiG-29 fighter jet. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, he carried out 253 combat sorties to cover infantry, destroy Russian aviation assets, and conduct missile and bomb strikes on enemy equipment and forces. He completed dozens of successful operations, destroying six drones, a cruise missile, five command points, and two personnel concentrations.
Senior Sergeant Denys Marin. Volunteer and defender of Bakhmut. He set up tactical medicine training in combat conditions, organized medics, and built a medical evacuation system. Under his leadership, 30 wounded warriors were saved. From January to August last year, he evacuated about 70 wounded defenders, sustaining injuries himself. After treatment, rehabilitation, and prosthetics, he returned to his battalion.
Captain Oleksandr Cherednichenko. Thanks to his actions and coordination with the strike UAV company, on July 25 this year, the enemy's advancement was halted, a position was held, and eight occupiers were eliminated. Over the course of a month, by repelling enemy assaults, Oleksandr Cherednichenko ensured the destruction of more than 600 occupiers using unmanned systems.
The President also awarded defenders with the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, I and II class, Orders “For Courage,” I–III class, and the Order of Princess Olga, III class.
The Head of State presented combat flags to the commander of the 141st Separate Mechanized Brigade, 414th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade “Magyar's Birds,” 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelia,” and the 108th Separate Assault Battalion “Da Vinci Wolves” of the 59th Separate Assault Unmanned Systems Brigade named after Yakiv Handziuk.
Commanders of the 33rd Separate Mechanized Brigade, 117th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade, 12th Separate Army Aviation Brigade named after Corporal General Viktor Pavlenko, and the 32nd Separate Artillery Brigade received the distinctions “For Courage and Bravery.”
Additionally, the President presented the ribbon bearing the honorary name “named after Hero of Ukraine Valerii Hudz” to the commander of the 42nd Separate Mechanized Brigade.
