In Lviv, on the eve of the Day of Remembrance of the Defenders of Ukraine, a ceremony was held at the 7th Carpathian Border Detachment to honour the fallen servicemen of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. During the event, state and departmental decorations were solemnly presented to their families.
In total, awards were presented to six border guards who gave their lives defending Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.
Master Sergeant Dmytro Holdak, a serviceman of the 3rd Border Detachment, was killed on 24 September 2025 in the area of the village of Dovha Balka in Donetsk region. He was posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage” 3rd Class, which was received by his son Artur.
Senior Soldier Mykhailo Malkush of the 3rd Border Detachment was killed on 23 August 2024 near the village of Pishchane in Kharkiv region. He was posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage” 3rd Class, which was presented to his sister Nadiia.
Senior Sergeant Roman Podlevskyi, a serviceman of the 1st Border Detachment, was killed on 25 June 2025 in the area of Vovchanski Khutory in Chuhuiv district of Kharkiv region. He was also posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage” 3rd Class, which was received by his wife Nataliia.
Soldier Hennadii Melnychuk, a serviceman of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, was killed on 16 May 2025 in the area of the village of Kreidianka in Kupiansk district of Kharkiv region. He was posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage” 3rd Class. The award was received by his wife Iryna and his son Marko.
Junior Sergeant Volodymyr Voliak of the 105th Border Detachment was killed on 11 October 2025 in the area of the village of Zoria in Novhorod-Siverskyi district of Chernihiv region. He was posthumously awarded the medal “For Military Service to Ukraine”, which was presented to his mother Mariia.
Junior Sergeant Yurii Trofimuk, a serviceman of the 7th Carpathian Border Detachment, was killed on 10 October 2024 in the area of the village of Myropillia in Sumy region. He was posthumously awarded the breast badge “For Courage in the Protection of the State Border”. The award was received by his mother Nataliia.
All the decorations were presented to the closest relatives of the fallen defenders. Participants in the ceremony stressed that the memory of these soldiers and their contribution to the defence of Ukraine will endure forever.
The Day of Remembrance of the Defenders of Ukraine is marked annually on 29 August. On this day, tribute is paid to servicemen and volunteers who died fighting for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state.