President Vladimir Zelensky met with soldiers of the Airborne Assault Forces to present awards for the soldiers’ contribution to the country’s defense from the terrorist state of Russia. The ceremony took place on November 8, the Day of the DShV of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The OP website reports that the paratroopers received the Order of the Golden Star, Bohdan Khmelnytsky I–III degrees and “For Courage” I–III degrees, and “Cross of Military Merit”. In addition, the unit commanders were awarded combat banners and ribbons of the honorary insignia “For Courage and Courage.”.

“Now, in many respects, it is on the strength of our airborne forces that the Pokrovsky direction rests, our Dobropolsky operation is carried out, our Donetsk region, our Kharkov region, our southern regions are supported. The heroic Kursk operation also became possible largely thanks to the strength of our paratroopers,” Zelensky noted..

He called each unit of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces “our pride and our independence”. Together with other components of the Security and Defense Forces, paratroopers provide important achievements in battles - without the merits of the DShV it is impossible to imagine strong results for the entire country.

“It is thanks to warriors like you and your brothers-in-arms, thanks to every brave Ukrainian heart, that Ukraine is and will always be on earth – independent and capable of defending itself,” the head of state said.

– commander of the 148th separate artillery brigade of the 8th corps of the Airborne Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel Oleg Zmysly. This year, in the Donetsk and Zaporozhye regions, units under his command destroyed more than 1,600 invaders, almost 80 guns, three MLRS, eight tanks, 14 UAVs, nine control points, more than 25 vehicles, motor vehicles, and armored vehicles of the enemy; also damaged more than 240 guns, 13 mortars, two MLRS, 11 tanks, armored vehicles, armored personnel carriers.

Zmysly leads a group of IT specialists that automates various processes in the team.

– Lieutenant Colonel Konstantin Revutsky. In the battles in the Donetsk region, he destroyed almost 50 invaders, an armored personnel carrier and two infantry fighting vehicles. In the Kursk region, his units actually destroyed the enemy’s 9th motorized rifle battalion, as well as 45 invaders, five armored vehicles and two invaders’ vehicles. In the Sumy region, units under the command of Revutsky destroyed more than 200 invaders, more than 30 pieces of equipment and almost 40 UAVs of Russian troops.

– soldier Vyacheslav Tkachenko. He performs combat missions near Belogorovka in the Luhansk region, participates in assault and stabilization operations. In May, he joined in the destruction of infantry fighting vehicles and 18 occupiers during a seven-hour enemy offensive. Subsequently, he personally conducted reconnaissance of enemy firing positions, captured a radio station and destroyed three infantrymen in close combat.. In July, he distinguished himself by numerous defensive actions, in particular, he destroyed an enemy infantry fighting vehicle with a grenade launcher and evacuated three twin cities under fire.

- junior sergeant Dmitry Shavaldin. Since October 2022, Shavaldin has been performing combat missions in the Donetsk region, and since February 2025, he has been heading the attack UAV department..

Personally conducted reconnaissance, led strikes and covered the evacuation of fellow soldiers near Razliv, Alekseevka, Bogatyr, Orekhovoy. Destroyed four infantry fighting vehicles, an armored personnel carrier, three armored tractors with ammunition, a dozen enemy mortar and firing positions and about 80 invaders.

– battalion commander of the 79th separate air assault Tauride brigade, Major Ruslan Belobrov. The unit under his command completed dozens of successful combat missions in the Pokrovsky direction. This summer, Belobrov led successful assaults in the Troitsky area: he managed to destroy about 60 invaders and drive the enemy out of their positions. In September, in the Mirnograd area, with his subordinates, he repelled a Russian counterattack, destroying 22 invaders.

– commander of the 79th separate air assault Tauride brigade, Colonel Eduard Kolodiy.

The military man received the “Cross of Military Merit” award for the second time - “Silver Oak Branch”. Kolodiy is the second Ukrainian fighter to be awarded the Cross of Military Merit twice..

At the end of August - beginning of September, he organized the successful repulsion of attacks in the Donetsk region.

Under his leadership and thanks to the well-established interaction of artillery, unmanned and infantry units, it was possible to destroy seven armored vehicles, eliminate more than 100 invaders and wound more than 50 more. Having suffered serious losses, the enemy was forced to retreat.

Zelensky also awarded the soldiers with the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 1st–3rd degrees, and “For Courage,” 1st–3rd degrees..

In addition, the President presented a battle flag to the commander of the 421st separate battalion of unmanned systems "