Zelenskyy grants 5 Mariupol and Azovstal steel plant defenders title of Heroes of Ukraine

Ukrainska Pravda
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STANISLAV POHORILOV — MONDAY, 3 OCTOBER 2022, 22:06

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded the Hero of Ukraine title to five defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal steel plant; the soldiers have received  "Golden Star" Orders in Turkey, where they are currently located.

Source: Press service of the Office of the President of Ukraine

Details: The President bestowed the award to Denys Prokopenko (who goes by the alias of Redis), Commander of the Azov Regiment of the National Guard of Ukraine; his deputy Sviatoslar Palamar; Serhii Volyna (who goes by the alias of Volyna), Acting Commander of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade; Oleh Khomenko, senior officer of the Azov Regiment; and Denys Shleha, Commander of the 12th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated the service members via video call; he also expressed gratitude to them for performing an important combat task of defending Mariupol.

Background:

  • Ukraine succeeded in freeing 215 Ukrainian defenders as part of prisoner swap with the Russian occupiers on 21 September.

  • National Guardsmen, border guards, police officers, marines, soldiers of Territorial Defence Forces, customs officers, and civilians are among those who have been set free. In particular, Denys "Redis" Prokopenko, Serhii "Volyna" Volynskyi, Sviatoslav Palamar, Denys Shleha, Oleh Khomenko - commanders from Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol - have been set free, as well. In addition, soldiers of the Azov Regiment, Mykola "Frost" Kushch and Kostiantyn "Fox" Nikitenko, whom the occupiers wanted to execute, have also returned to Ukraine.

  • Five commanders of the Azov Regiment are currently in Turkey under the personal protection and safety guarantees of the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, they will stay in Turkey until the end of the Russian war against Ukraine.

  • Viktor Medvedchuk [Ukrainian businessman and pro-Russian politician, whose daughter Putin is godfather to – ed.] and 55 occupiers were returned to Russia.

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