The President Presented the Orders of the Golden Star to the Heroes of Ukraine and Handed the Awards to the Families of the Fallen Heroes

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President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the Orders of the Golden Star to the Heroes of Ukraine and handed the awards to the families of the fallen Heroes of Ukraine who received the title posthumously.

The Head of State noted that the Russians had carried out yet another strike, aimed at Ukraine's life.

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"Each of these strikes clearly demonstrates that Russia is waging a vile, terrorist war. And this, on Russia's part, is definitely a war without rules and without reason," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.

According to the President, it is thanks to the warriors who have risen to defend their homeland that Ukraine has been able to preserve and protect its independence. The President stressed that the strength of the people and the patriotism of Ukrainian families ensure the state's resilience.

"We defend ourselves against Russia in many ways - with true strength. Thanks to heroes like those here, and to those remembered in our hearts. Our warriors hold their positions on the front lines. We are carrying out active counteroffensive operations, inflicting significant losses on the occupiers. It is precisely thanks to this pressure, thanks to our people, thanks to the heroism of Ukrainians, thanks to your heroism, that the world helps Ukraine," Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted.

The President expressed his gratitude to Ukrainian warriors and their families and called for the fallen defenders not to be forgotten. The memory of the warriors who gave their lives for Ukraine was honored with a moment of silence.

The Head of State handed the Orders of the Golden Star to the families of the fallen warriors. The title of Hero of Ukraine was awarded posthumously to:

Captain Anton Atamaniuk. He had participated in the ATO since 2015. At the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, as a special forces group commander, he held positions in the Luhansk region. Later, in the Chernihiv border area, he and another servicemember fell into an enemy ambush. Despite being wounded, he dragged a wounded brother-in-arms to safety, diverted the enemy's attention, and saved both lives. He defended Bakhmut. Anton Atamaniuk was killed on October 15, 2023, in a mine explosion while advancing with a special forces subgroup toward enemy positions in the Zaporizhzhia region.

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Group Commander of the Security Service of Ukraine Center, Major Mykola Horodnichenko. In February and March 2022, he slowed the advance of the occupiers in northern Ukraine and participated in the liberation of Trostyanets. He carried out on-foot missions into the gray zone, where there were over 300 units of Russian equipment. In July 2022, he took part in the defense of Bakhmut. In January 2024, he led a sniper unit that crossed to an island in the Kherson region, set up positions, and eliminated enemy forces with sniper fire. Under Mykola Horodnichenko's command, the group destroyed about 60 occupiers but came under enemy fire on the return from their mission. Mykola Horodnichenko died in action.

Junior Sergeant Valerii Demenev. He defended Siverskodonetsk, Lysychansk, and Bilohorivka. In one of the battles, he identified and provided precise coordinates that led to the destruction of a Russian IFV and more than 30 occupiers. He took part in a counteroffensive operation near Izyum and Balakliya. Under his command, more than 50 Russian soldiers were eliminated, three enemy firing positions were destroyed, and an ammunition depot was captured. Valerii Demenev was killed at his combat post on June 24, 2023, as a result of enemy mortar fire.

Junior Sergeant Andrii Dubnytskyi. Commander of a machine gun section. From March 2022 to February 2024, he served with the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Marko Bezruchko on the Avdiivka front. He personally eliminated about 35 occupiers, destroyed four enemy tanks, and five IFVs using a Javelin ATGM. Andrii Dubnytskyi was killed on February 15, 2024, while defending a strongpoint until his last breath.

Lieutenant Colonel Mykola Dupeshko. On October 24 last year, he led a reserve group defending positions in the Donetsk region. In 24 hours, the group under his command repelled six enemy assaults, destroyed an IFV, killed nine, and wounded about ten Russian assault troops, which helped them secure their positions. Mykola Dupeshko died on December 12 last year near Pokrovsk during a heavy enemy bombardment.

Commander of the "Liut" Brigade, Police Colonel Maksym Kazban. Since September 2024, under his leadership, the "Liut" Brigade, together with adjacent units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, eliminated over 700 occupiers, wounded more than 1,640, and captured 19; they also destroyed eight artillery systems, almost 20 armored vehicles, shot down over 30 UAVs, suppressed over 1,200 FPV drones with electronic warfare, and a significant number of enemy equipment and firing positions. Maksym Kazban died on July 22 this year in the Donetsk region in a traffic accident.

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Lieutenant Kostiantyn Mykhalchuk. He carried out combat missions in the ATO zone from 2014 to 2021. At the start of the full-scale invasion, he defended the Kyiv region. In May 2023, he held Ukrainian positions in Bakhmut, personally eliminating six Wagner PMC militants. In November 2023, he defended Avdiivka. On May 27 last year, while reconnoitering weak points in the enemy's defense as part of a group in the Kharkiv region, he forced six occupiers to surrender. However, during the search, Ukrainian servicemembers discovered a UAV, which exploded and killed Kostiantyn Mykhalchuk.

Sergeant Vladyslav Mushastyi. He took command when he and his brothers-in-arms were surrounded and defended their position for four days. Under artillery, tank, and combat vehicle fire, he evacuated the wounded and delivered ammunition. On July 22 last year, while under targeted mortar fire during a resupply mission, he completed delivery, assumed command, and, with two other warriors, repelled several assaults. Despite the long artillery fire, he did not leave his position, which enabled the defense to hold. Vladyslav Mushastyi received fatal injuries in the process.

Soldier Illia Ostapenko. He carried out combat missions near Andriivka in the Bakhmut district and at the Avdiivka Coke Plant. During this time, under his command, the group eliminated at least 80 occupiers and rescued around 40 warriors during the evacuation of the wounded. On April 28, 2024, during a raid and consolidation on enemy positions near Serhiivka, Illia Ostapenko was killed by an enemy drone strike. In his final battle, he personally eliminated five enemy infantry soldiers.

Junior Sergeant Viktor Stelmakh. One of the founders of the "Shershni Dovbusha" unit. In 2023, he participated in the counteroffensive in the Donetsk region and carried out combat missions in the Kharkiv region. His unit eliminated almost 700 and wounded around 900 occupiers and burned eight armored vehicles. In September last year, on the Pokrovsk axis, he formed a new UAV pilot crew. Viktor Stelmakh was killed on October 18 as a result of a kamikaze drone attack on the crew's position.

Combat Medic Junior Sergeant Petro Stepanenko. While moving to positions near the village of Klishchiivka, he saved a brother-in-arms wounded by artillery fire. On July 8, 2023, his unit came under massive artillery and mortar fire. As a combat medic, he stabilized the wounded and carried them to safety. Petro Stepanenko died shielding his brother-in-arms from enemy fire.

Soldier Oleksandr Stepanyshchev. During a massive Russian shelling, he rescued five brothers-in-arms from heavy fire and organized the transportation of four other seriously wounded warriors. He was wounded twice but continued to command the position. On May 5 last year, the enemy subjected the battalion's positions to continuous shelling. Oleksandr Stepanyshchev was responsible for defending one of them; he personally eliminated five Russians, and took part in evacuating the wounded, but was killed during one of the attacks.

Junior Sergeant Kyrylo Ulman. In July 2022, the unit under his command held off enemy attacks in Bakhmut for four days. In particular, the Junior Sergeant, using grenades, personally destroyed an entire enemy group that infiltrated the trenches. In September, in a firefight, he eliminated eight Wagner PMC militants. Between 2023 and 2024, in the Klishchiivka, Andriivka, Khromove, Bohdanivka, and Lastochkyne areas, Kyrylo Ulman's unit eliminated at least 125 Russian soldiers. He was killed on February 15, 2024, in close combat with the enemy, sustaining gunshot wounds to the face and neck.

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Lieutenant Roman Shapoval. Near Novoluhanske, he destroyed two Russian machine gun crews and about ten occupiers. At night, he detected an enemy group, eliminated five Russians, and forced the remainder to retreat. He participated in an offensive that destroyed a tank, an IFV, and 27 invaders, taking nine Russians prisoner. From April 2024, he carried out combat missions in the Kharkiv region, where the unit under his command blocked the enemy, regained lost positions, and repelled assaults. Roman Shapoval died on August 27 last year during artillery shelling and an FPV drone strike.

Sergeant Oleksandr Sharhorodskyi. From January 2023, he fought on the Bakhmut front with the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade. He commanded personnel in battles near Klishchiivka, Ivanivske, Stupochky, and Predtechyne, holding and defending important positions. In clashes with the enemy, including the Wagner PMC, his unit eliminated at least 37 occupiers. On May 17, 2023, during reconnaissance, he pushed a brother-in-arms away from a tripwire he had noticed but was killed by the ensuing explosion.

Junior Sergeant Vitalii Shevchenko. He voluntarily joined the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. In early 2023, he carried out combat missions in the Donetsk region, including the Soledar area. After the platoon commander was wounded, he assumed seniority in the position, holding it for two days with minimal forces. He led the defense against numerous enemy attacks and rescued brothers-in-arms trapped under bunker rubble after a shelling. He died on April 12, 2023, due to mortar fire near Tonenke and Vodyane, managing to warn of an enemy ambush in time.

Senior Lieutenant Volodymyr Yavorskyi. In 2023, defended Bakhmut, rescuing, in particular, two brothers-in-arms from a vehicle hit by an FPV drone and later facilitating the withdrawal of warriors from a semi-encirclement. He identified enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the Kharkiv region and participated in preparing and executing a special operation in the Black Sea. Over two days, his group repelled six enemy assaults in Chasiv Yar, eliminating more than 50 infantry soldiers and five vehicles. During the evacuation, defenders came under artillery fire. Volodymyr Yavorskyi died while shielding a brother-in-arms.

The President also personally presented the Orders of the Golden Star to five more warriors. These are:

Senior Soldier Mykhailo Korsun. During battles in the Kursk region in March 2025, he was wounded by an enemy drone striking a vehicle but managed to bring over 30 brothers-in-arms to safety. Under fire, he twice returned in a damaged vehicle to evacuate wounded fighters.

Senior Soldier Viktor Ladyha. Last year in the Donetsk region, he destroyed six enemy IFVs and over 50 occupiers, including Wagner PMC militants. Despite being wounded by an FPV drone, he continued the fight. Viktor Ladyha prevented an enemy breakthrough toward Novohrodivka, securing an important frontline.

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Senior Soldier Denys Lysenko. Near Synkivka, under heavy enemy fire, he moved to enemy fortifications, destroyed a fire point, and enabled his assault group to advance. Repeatedly wounded, he continued repelling attacks. Despite risking his life, he consistently assisted wounded brother-in-arms, including carrying an unconscious warrior from a combat post to a medical evacuation point. In April this year, he personally eliminated four Russian assault troops, repelling an attack and retaining control of the position.

Soldier Vitalii Lisnevskyi. He commanded a combat group that eliminated nearly 20 occupiers in the Kharkiv region and took three prisoners. In October last year, Vitalii Lisnevskyi's group came under enemy fire, and he was severely wounded. Despite this, he self-treated and evacuated a wounded brother-in-arms.

Sergeant Pavlo Romaniuk. During battles in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, he personally eliminated the enemy, rescued wounded brothers-in-arms, and organized defense under continuous Russian shelling. In August last year, while leading an assault group near Toretsk, he restored control over a critical position, capturing two occupiers. Despite being seriously wounded in an ambush, he continued to command the fight and covered his group's withdrawal, saving the lives of his brothers-in-arms.

ph	11 October 2025 - 12:16