On the Day of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky met with military personnel, presenting them with state awards and handing over battle flags and ribbons of honor for «Courage and Valor».

The President expressed gratitude to the defenders of the sky for their dedication and daily service. The Ukrainian Air Forces demonstrated exceptional skill and readiness for any challenge: they have carried out 28,000 combat sorties and destroyed over 25,000 Russian targets, including hundreds of aircraft and thousands of drones.

The President emphasized that Ukrainian soldiers have quickly mastered modern air defense systems, and their pilots are now training on F-16 and Mirage aircraft. Much of what seemed impossible not long ago has become a reality.

Thanks to the skills and professionalism of every Air Force member, hundreds of thousands of lives have been saved.

Participants honored the memory of fallen soldiers with a moment of silence for those who gave their lives for Ukraine.

The President awarded the families of the fallen Heroes of Ukraine with the «Gold Star» medals. Posthumously, the highest state honor was awarded to:

Colonel Dmytro Fisher, a first-class military pilot who spent over 1230 hours in the sky. He supported our troops since 2014, defending Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, until he was killed in action on June 5, 2022.

Captain Vadym Moroz destroyed enemy equipment in the early days of the war before losing his life during a combat mission.

Major Pavlo Ivanov quickly mastered several types of aircraft but was killed during a sortie in April this year.

Volodymyr Zelensky also awarded other soldiers with the Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Orders and «For Courage» medals.

Additionally, battle flags and honor ribbons were presented to the commanders of various units.