Many thanks to you and a big earthly bow for your parents, children and grandchildren,” said Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi.

The awards were presented by Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi, First Deputy Head of the Western Regional Directorate of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine – Chief of Staff Brigadier General Oleksandr Rybak, Deputy Head of the Western Territorial Directorate of the National Guard of Ukraine Colonel Serhiy Khovailo, Deputy Head of the National Army Academy named after Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi Colonel Volodymyr Hrabchak, Acting Deputy Commander of the Air Command “West” Colonel

The St. George’s Badge of Honour (posthumously) was awarded to

1. a soldier of the 24th separate mechanised brigade named after King Danylo of the operational command “West” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , soldier Volodymyr Popovych. He died defending Ukraine on 11 July 2014 in the village of Zelenopillia, Luhansk region. His sister Tetiana received the award.

2. Sergeant Taras Dorosh, a soldier of the Lviv Special Police Patrol Service Battalion, who laid down his life for the independence of the state on 14 January 2015 in the village of Stanytsia Luhanska, Luhansk region. The award was presented to his father Ruslan Myronovych.

3. a serviceman of the 503rd separate battalion of marines of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , Senior Soldier Vitalii Lopushanskyi. He died on 15 March, 2022 in the village of Yevhenivka, Donetsk region. His sister Nataliia received the award.

4. a serviceman of the 24th separate mechanised brigade named after King Danylo of the operational command “West” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Senior Lieutenant Yulii Moshchenko. He died on 27 March 2022 in the city of Popasna, Luhansk region. The award was presented to his sons Vitalii and Vadym.

5. a serviceman of the 24th separate mechanised brigade named after King Danylo of the operational command “West” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , soldier Ihor Voloshchuk. He died defending his homeland on 4 April 2022 in the city of Popasna, Luhansk region. His girlfriend Olha received the award.

6. a serviceman of the 24th separate mechanised brigade named after King Danylo of the operational command “West” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, senior soldier Taras Kotliarchuk. He died on 11 April 2022 as a result of injuries sustained as a result of hostilities in the city of Popasna, Luhansk region. His mother Iryna Mykhailivna received the award.

7. a serviceman of the 24th separate mechanised brigade named after King Danylo of the operational command “West” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Junior Sergeant Andrii Shchyrba. He laid down his life for Ukraine on 17 April 2022 in the city of Popasna, Luhansk region. His wife Olha received the award.

8. a serviceman of the 503rd separate battalion of marines of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Senior Seaman Ivan Krapovoy. He died on 20 April 2022 in the city of Mariupol, Donetsk region. The award was presented to his wife Liudmyla.

9. a serviceman of the 24th separate mechanised brigade named after King Danylo of the operational command “West” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , soldier Petro Tsymbaliuk. He died on 22 May 2022 in the village of Komyshuvakha, Luhansk region. His wife Halyna, daughters Mariia and Viktoriia received the award.

10. a serviceman of the 80th separate Galician Air Assault Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, senior soldier Dmytro Batiukov. He died on 7 August 2022 in the village of Ivan-Dariivka, Donetsk region. His son Rostyslav received the award.

11. a serviceman of the 67th separate mechanised brigade of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , soldier Dmytro Fialka. He died on 1 September 2022 in the village of Vesela Dolyna, Donetsk region. The award was presented to his wife Eva and grandmother Rita Dmytrivna.

12. a serviceman of the 80th separate Galician Air Assault Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, senior soldier Myroslav Lytvyn. He died on 23 September 2022 in the village of Vovchyi Yar, Kharkiv region. His sister Olha received the award.

13. a serviceman of the 79th separate Tauride Air Assault Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , soldier Roman Sterkhaliuk. He died on 24 October 2022 in the village of Novomykhailivka, Donetsk region. The award was presented to his mother Liubov Ivanivna.

14. a serviceman of the 68th separate hunting brigade named after Oleksa Dovbush of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , Chief Sergeant Volodymyr Khytrun. He died on 19 November 2022 in the village of Prechystivka, Donetsk region. His son Oleh received the award.

15. soldier of the 24th separate mechanised brigade named after King Danylo of the operational command “West” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , soldier Andrii Bespalko. He died on 27 November 2022 in the village of Bakhmutske, Donetsk region. His sister Khrystyna received the award.

16.soldier of the 125th separate brigade of territorial defence of the regional directorate “West” of the Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, soldier Yevhen Yemets. He died on 5 December 2022 in the village of Dibrova, Luhansk region. His son Oleksandr received the award.

17. Lieutenant Volodymyr Bloshchychak, a serviceman of the 2nd separate Galician Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. He gave his life for Ukraine on 7 December 2022 in Kurakhove, Donetsk region. The award was presented to his daughter Anna-Maria and son Matvii.

18. Lieutenant Taras Kutnyi, a serviceman of the Northern Kyiv Territorial Directorate of the National Guard of Ukraine. He died in a battle against the occupier on 17 December 2022 in the city of Avdiivka, Donetsk region. His mother Oksana Vasylivna and father Oleh Mykhailovych received the award.

19. Serviceman of the 17th separate motorised infantry battalion of the 57th separate motorised infantry brigade of the Kosh Ataman Kostiantyn Hordiienko of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Junior Sergeant Mykola Sakun. He died in the fight against the enemy on 18 December 2022 in the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk region. The award was presented to his mother Hanna Ivanivna.

20. a serviceman of the 24th separate mechanised brigade named after King Danylo of the operational command “West” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , soldier Roman Legkyi. He died in the fight against the enemy on 19 December 2022 in the village of Klishchiyivka, Donetsk region. The award was presented to his children – daughter Liliia and son.

21. A serviceman of the 24th separate mechanised brigade named after King Danylo of the operational command “West” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , soldier Serhii Fedorov. He died in a battle against the occupier on 19 December 2022 in the village of Klishchiyivka, Donetsk region. The award was presented to his mother Halyna Vasylivna.

22. Serviceman of the Special Forces unit “Artan” of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Senior Soldier Vitalii Zaritskyi. He died defending his native land on 20 December 2022 in the village of Ozeryanivka, Donetsk region. His son Oleksandr received the award.

23. a serviceman of the 80th separate Galician Air Assault Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , Senior Sergeant Matviy Koval. He died for Ukraine on 26 December 2022 in the village of Kuzmyne, Luhansk region. His son Matvii received the award.

24. a serviceman of the 60th separate mechanised Ingulets brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , soldier Bohdan Brodiuk. He died in a battle with the invaders on 27 December 2022 in the village of Kurdyumivka, Donetsk region. His son Demian received the award.

25. Soldier Yurii Hordynskyi , a serviceman of the 80th separate Galician Air Assault Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine . He gave his life for the Motherland on 27 December 2022 in the village of Torske, Luhansk region. The award was presented to his father Roman Yosypovych.

26. a serviceman of the 60th separate mechanised Ingulets brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Senior Lieutenant Serhii Zaitsev. He died on 28 December 2022 in the village of Klishchiyivka, Donetsk region. His wife Vasylyna and daughter Daryna received the award.

27. Captain Yurii Fedorko, a serviceman of the 80th separate Galician Air Assault Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He died on 28 December 2022 in the village of Borova, Kharkiv region. His wife Svitlana received the award.

28. a serviceman of the 24th separate mechanised brigade named after King Danylo of the operational command “West” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, senior soldier Andrii Symko. He died on 29 December 2022 in Druzhkivka, Donetsk region. His mother Anna Myronivna received the award.

29. a serviceman of the 24th separate mechanised brigade named after King Danylo of the operational command “West” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , senior soldier Hryhoriy Davydov. He died on 31 December 2022 in the village of Opytne, Donetsk region. The award was presented to his daughter Halyna and grandchildren.

30. a serviceman of the 21st separate Special Forces battalion of the Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Separate Presidential Brigade of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Hero of Ukraine, Lieutenant Mykola Voitovych. He died on 6 December 2022 in the village of Klishchiyivka, Donetsk region. His son Nazar received the award.

“Our defenders are worthy of the highest honours: both on earth and, above all, in heaven. In the eighth Psalm, we read such beautiful words that God created man as little less than an angel and endowed him with glory and honour. And today we are indeed celebrating People with a capital P, little less than angels. We understand that they continue to be our guardian angels, our defenders. Therefore, let us always pray for our army, both earthly and heavenly, and remember our Heroes,” said Father Andriy Sidanych, chaplain of the Lviv City Council.

Afterwards, a joint prayer honoured the memory of all the fallen Heroes. The ceremony was concluded with the spiritual hymn “O Great One God…”. The event was accompanied by the music of the Gomin Municipal Choir, and an honour guard was on duty during the ceremony.

As a reminder, the St George’s Badge of Honour is a city award given to people for outstanding services to the city. The insignia is depicted in the form of a cross with a circle inscribed with the image of St George, the patron saint of Lviv.