During the ceremony, fighters and commanders of the Corps and the Brigade were awarded state decorations for personal courage in defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the rank insignia of Brigadier General to the Commander of the First Corps Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine, Denys “Redis” Prokopenko. The President also awarded the Commander of the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov, Bohdan “Puhach” Hrishenkov, the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, II Class.
Other decorations awarded included:
— Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, III Class;
— Order of Danylo Halytskyi;
— Order “For Courage,” III Class.
Thank you for all these years of defending our state, from the first days of the occupation of Crimea and parts of Donbas to the years of the full-scale war.
Ukraine exists because it has people like you. I want to thank you for your service and your patience. This is not easy, and not everyone understands it, but you know this better than anyone.
Thank you for defending such an important sector today. The entire world is discussing these events, but it does not know the price — the cost at which our people, you and your brothers-in-arms, fight for every kilometer of this land.
Every person matters. I wish you strong health. Everything else you already have.
Ukraine exists because it has people like you. I want to thank you for your service and your patience. This is not easy, and not everyone understands it, but you know this better than anyone.
Thank you for defending such an important sector today. The entire world is discussing these events, but it does not know the price — the cost at which our people, you and your brothers-in-arms, fight for every kilometer of this land.
Every person matters. I wish you strong health. Everything else you already have.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine