Zelenskyy presented state awards to servicemen and families of fallen Heroes of Ukraine. PHOTOS

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has honoured Ukrainian defenders with the highest state awards and presented orders and decorations to the families of fallen soldiers who have been awarded posthumously.

This was reported by Censor.NET, citing the press centre of the Office of the President.

"We are honouring with Ukraine’s state awards those people on whom everything depends: the Ukrainian state, Ukrainian independence, and Ukraine’s future. There is only one real and strong border between us and Russia – it is the Ukrainians who are fighting for the freedom of our state and who are working to ensure that Ukraine has the means to defend itself," the Head of State emphasised.

Taking the war onto Russian territory

Zelenskyy thanked all components of Ukraine’s Security and Defence Forces and emphasised that Ukrainians are not only fighting for their country on their own territory, but are also taking the war into Russia, from whence it came.

"We are conducting operations on Russian territory; our far-reaching sanctions against Russia for the war are in effect – they are truly in effect every night, every day. We are fighting for Ukraine in the diplomatic arena and providing Ukrainian defence with the necessary weapons and support, and whilst this is extremely difficult, we have all of this. For five years we have stood against an enemy that is larger than us, but which has not achieved what it wanted, what it still wants," the President noted.

Zelenskyy also called on everyone to always remember those who gave their lives for Ukraine. Those present honoured the memory of the fallen soldiers with a minute’s silence.

Presentation of awards

The Head of State presented the "Golden Star" orders to the families of the fallen Heroes of Ukraine. The following were posthumously awarded the highest honour:

Staff Sergeant Anton Voitenko. He stormed enemy positions and identified enemy groups in the Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions. In particular, he carried out combat missions as part of assault groups in the Kamyanske and Stepove areas of the Zaporizhzhia region. Thanks to this, it was possible to hold an important section of the terrain and preserve firing positions. Anton Voitenko was killed on 14 August 2025 when, having turned his vehicle round, he took the brunt of a Russian drone strike and saved the lives of five comrades.
Police Major Mykola Hetmanov. In 2022–2023, he carried out combat missions in the Kharkiv region. He repelled enemy attacks and personally eliminated 14 occupiers. In October 2025, an assault group under his command eliminated Russians who had infiltrated Kupiansk. During the firefight, Major Hetmanov killed two invaders, shielding several comrades with his own body, but died from his injuries.
Junior Sergeant Vasyl Kilar. Under his command, a unit of strike unmanned aerial systems eliminated over 50 occupiers near Malaya Tokmachka in just two and a half months in 2024. In the Donetsk region, as part of an FPV drone crew, he destroyed enemy groups and equipment, repelling enemy assaults. Vasyl Kilar died on 29 May 2025 in the Zeleny Kut area when, during an attack by an enemy FPV drone, he shielded a comrade with his own body.
Lieutenant Colonel Ruslan Petrenko. In March 2022, in the Chernihiv region, he led a special operation to install video surveillance equipment at a height of over 100 metres, whilst under constant enemy fire. He took part in counter-sabotage operations in the Chernihiv and Sumy regions. Under his leadership, a UAV unit was also formed, which ensured the destruction of 180 enemy targets by artillery. Ruslan Petrenko was killed on 1 February this year as a result of an attack by an enemy FPV drone.
Senior Private Vitalii Sydoruk. He carried out combat missions in the Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions. He repeatedly rescued wounded comrades: he provided cover for the evacuation team, administered first aid and organised the evacuation. In December 2023, near the village of Synkivka in the Kharkiv region, he used a UAV to direct artillery fire against the enemy. Thanks to this, it was possible to break the encirclement of a position. Vitalii Sydoruk was killed on 30 May 2024 during enemy shelling in the Donetsk region.

Zelensky presented the families of the fallen servicemen with the "Cross of Military Merit". It was awarded posthumously to:

Senior Lieutenant Serhiy Bulban. In April 2024, under enemy fire, he laid 12 anti-tank mines, which destroyed a Russian T-72 tank. He set up mine and explosive barriers, thanks to which the enemy lost three T-80 tanks and four occupiers. Despite his injuries, he remained on the battlefield, assisting his comrades and evacuating them. In 2025, he shot down an enemy FPV drone with a small arms weapon and saved a comrade’s life. Serhiy Bulban was killed on 5 December 2025 in the Kharkiv region as a result of shrapnel wounds.
Corporal Volodymyr Merezhko. He was wounded twice in combat but returned to duty after recovering. During fighting in the Donetsk and Sumy regions, the mortar crew under his command destroyed approximately a company of invaders. In July 2024, amidst the widespread use of enemy drones and counter-battery fire, he ensured the enemy was neutralised by fire, enabling the repulsion of seven assaults and the holding of positions. Volodymyr Merezhko was killed in October 2024 whilst repelling an enemy assault.
Senior Private Andriy Starovoit. As part of an anti-tank battalion, he led the repulsion of enemy assaults. During the fighting, he killed over 10 occupiers, and thanks to his actions, more than 20 Russian invaders were eliminated. In December last year, he organised the defence of positions and repelled three enemy assaults. Andriy Starovoit was killed on 17 January this year in the Donetsk region after stepping on an improvised explosive device.

The President honoured five Heroes of Ukraine with the Order of the Golden Star. The highest state award was awarded to:

Lieutenant Andriy Ishchenko. In September–October 2025, at the head of his unit, he organised the defence in the Kupiansk direction, conducted aerial reconnaissance and held the positions. During the fighting, the soldiers under his command eliminated around 200 occupiers and took a further eight prisoner. Under Andriy Ishchenko’s leadership, over 50 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines were also laid in key defensive sectors.
Colonel Valerii Koretskyi. Between August and December 2024, in the Donetsk region, he and his unit eliminated around 120 occupiers and wounded nearly 200 more. In 2025, he planned an operation to destroy enemy ammunition depots and led assault operations in the Pokrovsk sector. In November, during a battle near Udachne, he destroyed an armoured personnel carrier and four occupiers with an RPG. He ensured the evacuation of three comrades wounded as a result of ‘Grad’ rocket fire.
Sergeant Roman Kharchenko. Since August 2022, he has been carrying out combat missions in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. He was one of those who, in 2023, pioneered the use of FPV drones in the battalion. Last May, he was wounded by an FPV drone strike, underwent lengthy treatment and returned to his unit, where he mastered the use of drones to shoot down ‘suicide drones’. In total, Roman Kharchenko has destroyed 70 pieces of equipment, including tanks, IFVs and APCs, and over 90 enemy UAVs.
Private Dmytro Yashchenko. During a clearance operation in the residential area of Pokrovsk, he personally eliminated five occupiers. He was wounded during the battle, administered first aid to himself and continued to carry out his combat mission. For 17 days, he held his position single-handedly, repelling over nine Russian assaults and destroying around 20 occupiers.
Major Roman Yashchenko. In 2025, the unit under his command, thanks to the operation of FPV drone crews, struck and eliminated over 5,600 occupiers. In particular, in December 2025, UAV operators struck nearly 40 shelters containing personnel. January of this year was the most successful month: the unit eliminated over 800 occupiers and wounded more than 600.

Zelenskyy also presented six defenders with the "Cross of Military Merit". The award was received by:

Lieutenant Colonel Andriy Vinnitskyi. First Class Pilot. Since February 2022, under intense enemy air defence fire and constant shelling, he has been destroying enemy equipment and personnel in Mi-8, Mi-17 and Mi-24 helicopters. He has carried out missions in the Kherson and Donetsk regions, conducted medical evacuations of the wounded from Mariupol, destroyed enemy ‘suicide drones’, and organised complex combat operations involving the coordination of helicopter aviation and drones.
Corporal Andriy Volochiy. He spent 242 days continuously at his posts in the Zaporizhzhia region and, together with his comrades, held the defence near Primorske. During one of the Russian assaults, he personally killed two occupiers and thwarted the attack. He prevented the position from being outflanked and, under enemy artillery fire, moved out to a wounded comrade, provided assistance and helped to evacuate him.
Junior Sergeant Oleksandr Zoria. He carried out combat missions in the Donetsk and Sumy regions. As part of aerial reconnaissance crews, he flew over 100 combat sorties using drones, identified more than 100 enemy targets, and conducted more than 50 UAV strike adjustments. As a result, nearly 30 occupiers were killed, along with ammunition depots, howitzers, electronic warfare antennas, vehicles, motorcycles, buggies carrying infantry, multiple launch rocket systems, a mortar and a cannon.
Colonel Mykhailo Kusyak. Commander of the 81st Separate Slobozhansky Airborne Brigade. In just one and a half months of 2025, the soldiers under his command repelled over 60 assaults involving enemy artillery, heavy equipment and aviation in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian defenders destroyed over 160 armoured vehicles, shot down 2,600 UAVs and eliminated nearly 840 occupiers. In January this year, dozens of Russian offensives were thwarted.
Staff Sergeant Ihor Moysak. In November 2024, he carried out over 10 combat sorties across the Vovcha River in the Kharkiv region under constant enemy fire. In 2025–2026, he took part in the evacuation of comrades, repelling enemy assaults and reconnaissance operations. He identified and eliminated an enemy artillery spotter, and after a building collapsed following a Russian strike, he crawled out from under the rubble and rescued three comrades.
Sergeant Roman Shikor. He took part in combat operations in the Mykolaiv, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions. He killed six occupiers and took one prisoner. Thanks to this, he managed to obtain information on the location of enemy positions, firing points and equipment, as well as the call signs and names of Russian commanders. In August 2025, a reconnaissance group under his command was ambushed. During the battle, Roman Shikor was wounded, administered first aid to himself and, under enemy fire, managed to reach cover.