In Lviv, on General Hryhorenko Square in front of the entrance to the Main Directorate of the National Police in Lviv Region, the Stele of Hope has been unveiled – a monument in honour of police officers who went missing in action while carrying out combat missions. The stele bears the names of sixteen police officers from Lviv Region whose fate remains unknown.
Taking part in the official unveiling were the head of Lviv Region Police, Oleksandr Shliakhovskyi, and his deputies, the heads of structural and territorial units of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Lviv Region, fighters of the KORD Special Purpose Police Battalion (rifle) led by the unit commander, Police Colonel Yurii Vasylyshyn, the families of the missing law enforcement officers, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi, clergy, veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war and representatives of the public.
After the National Anthem of Ukraine was performed, those present observed a minute of silence in memory of the fallen soldiers who died while carrying out combat missions to defend the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. A joint prayer was led by the chaplain of Lviv City Council, military chaplain and priest of the Lviv Garrison Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul of the UGCC, Father Andrii Sidanich.
“In Ukraine’s most difficult hour, police officers, faithful to their Oath and guided by a sense of civic duty, took up arms to defend the state and, from the very first days of the Russian-Ukrainian war, have been serving in the most dangerous sectors of the front. Sadly, in our ranks there are those who have been killed and wounded, and there are also those who are missing, whose fate remains uncertain. But together with their loved ones, we believe that the time will come when our comrades will return to us, to their families. And this Stele is a symbol of our hope and faith, which will never fade,” said Oleksandr Shliakhovskyi during the unveiling of the monument.
The Stele of Hope is conceived as a place of steadfast waiting, dedicated to police officers who went missing while performing their duty. For the families of each of these law enforcement officers, every day of waiting is filled with anxiety and, at the same time, faith in the return of their loved ones, while the monument serves as a reminder of the defenders from whom there has been no word.
Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi stressed that thousands of people will pass by the Stele every day, looking at the photographs of the police officers who went missing while carrying out combat missions, and he expressed his gratitude to the families for their steadfastness, courage and support for their loved ones. The importance of remembrance and hope was also highlighted by Oksana Antonyak, the wife of missing Police Captain Mykhailo Antonyak, who emphasised that for the families of missing police officers it is crucial that their husbands, fathers and sons are not forgotten and that their sacrifice is remembered.