For defence of Ukraine’s Independence, 29 Lviv residents were posthumously awarded the “St George’s Badge of Honour”

It is a tradition in Lviv to hold a ceremony on the occasion of memorable dates to award the St George’s Badge of Honour (posthumously) to the defenders who have been defending Ukraine since 2014 and since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. Today, on the occasion of Independence Day, 29 Lviv residents who died at the hands of the occupiers were posthumously awarded. The awards were presented to the families of the defenders.

“Yesterday, today we celebrate the birthday of our country. These days, we often hear the words that Ukrainian independence has a price. Perhaps only you, the families of our Heroes, understand how terrible this price is. I would very much like that price not to be in vain and to give Ukraine a great chance for prosperity, for Ukrainian children to live in a successful free country,” said Andriy Sadovyi, Mayor of Lviv, during the ceremony.

The awards were presented by Andriy Sadovyi, Mayor of Lviv, Brigadier General Oleksandr Rybak, Acting Head of the Western Regional Directorate of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, and Brigadier General Serhiy Holubtsov, Deputy Commander of the Western Air Command.

They were posthumously awarded the St George’s Badge of Honour:

1. Soldier Oleksii Portman, a serviceman of the 80th separate Galician Air Assault Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He died defending Ukraine on 4 June 2022 in the town of Sviatohirsk, Mykolaiv region. His son Mykyta received the award.
2. Soldier Roman Vyshynskyi, a serviceman of the 80th separate Galician Air Assault Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , laid down his life for the Independence of the state on 9 June 2022 in the village of Bohorodichne, Donetsk region. The award was presented to his cousin Halyna.
3. A serviceman of the 129th separate reconnaissance battalion of the operational command “East” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , Junior Sergeant Vitalii Borysiuk. He died on 22 July 2022 in the village of Apostolove, Dnipro region. His godson Daniel received the award.
4. Captain Petro Huk, a serviceman of the separate detachment of the Azov Special Forces of the 12th Operational Brigade named after Dmytro Vyshnevetskyi of the Eastern Operational and Territorial Association of the National Guard of Ukraine. He died on 29 July 2022 as a result of a terrorist attack in Olenivka, Donetsk region. His brother Robert received the award.
5. Retired lieutenant colonel of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kharkiv region, serviceman of the 68th separate Oleksa Dovbush hunting brigade of the operational command “West” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Junior Sergeant Serhii Kucher. He died defending his homeland on 30 July 2022 in the village of Prechystivka, Donetsk region. His grandson Bohdan received the award.
6. A serviceman of the 110th separate mechanised brigade named after Major General Marko Bezruchko of the Reserve Corps of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , Senior Soldier Vitalii Volkanovych. He died in the struggle for independence on 2 August 2022 near the village of Novoselivka, Donetsk region. His wife Iryna received the award.
7. Lieutenant Yurii Streltsov, a serviceman of the 128th separate mountain assault brigade of the Transcarpathian Operational Command “West” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He laid down his life for Ukraine on 6 August 2022 in Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia region. The award was presented to his mother Nataliia Volodymyrivna.
8. A serviceman of the 63rd separate mechanised brigade of the Reserve Corps of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , Senior Lieutenant Mykhailo Hamkalo. He died on 18 August, 2022 in the village Blahodatne, Mykolaiv region. His son Ostap received the award.
9. Senior soldier Maksym Mansurov, a serviceman of the 503rd separate battalion of marines of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He died heroically on 24 August 2022 near the village of Pisky, Donetsk region. His mother Nadiia Volodymyrivna received the award.
10. 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 Bohdan Zhylovskyi. He died on 16 September 2022 near the village of Bezimenne, Kherson region. His daughter Yuliia received the award.
11. 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 Oleksandr Pylypenko. He died on 19 September 2022 in the village Bezymenne, Kherson region. His wife Khrystyna received the award.
12. A serviceman of the 80th separate Galician Air Assault Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , soldier Ivan Koval‘ skiy. He died on 23 September, 2022, in the village of Vovchyi Yar, Donetsk region. His father Mykhailo Ilkovych received the award.
13. A serviceman of the 80th separate Galician Air Assault Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , soldier Roman Matviyas. He died on 23 September 2022 near the village of Vovchyi Yar, Donetsk region. The award was presented to his mother, Iryna Volodymyrivna.
14. Serviceman of the 103rd separate brigade of territorial defence of the regional directorate “West” of the Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Junior Sergeant Nazariy Klymkiv. He died on 26 September, 2022 near the village Mykolaivka, Donetsk region. The award was presented to his mother Tetiana Vasylivna, wife Iryna and son Danylo.
15. Lieutenant Volodymyr Kurnat, a serviceman of the 103rd separate territorial defence brigade of the regional directorate “West” of the Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He died on 26 September, 2022 near the village Mykolaivka, Donetsk region. Volodymyr’s mother received the award.
16. A serviceman of the 103rd separate brigade of territorial defence of the regional directorate “West” of the Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , soldier Mykola Vizinskyi. He died on 2 October, 2022 near the village Mykolaivka, Donetsk region. His daughter Khrystyna received the award.
17. Senior Inspector of the Explosive Ordnance Department of the National Police of Ukraine , Police Lieutenant Dmytro Ryvak. He died on 4 October 2022 during the de-occupation of Kharkiv region. His wife Mariana received the award.
18. Senior soldier Serhii Chystiakov, a serviceman of the 103rd separate territorial defence brigade of the “West” regional directorate of the Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He gave his life for Ukraine on 15 October 2022 in the village of Stelmakhivka, Luhansk region. His wife Svitlana received the award.
19. Serviceman of the 80th separate Galician Air Assault Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Junior Sergeant Ihor Marchenko. He died in a battle against the occupier on 16 October 2022 near the village of Myroliubivka, Kherson region. His daughter Solomiia received the award.
20. Soldier Taras Podibka, a serviceman of the 80th separate Galician Air Assault Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He died in the fight against the enemy on 21 October 2022 in the village of Karmazynivka, Luhansk region. His father Stepan Vasylovych received the award.
21. A serviceman of the 103rd separate brigade of territorial defence of the regional directorate “West” of the Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , soldier Vasyl Yavorskyi. He died on 21 October, 2022 in the village Strymakhivka, Luhansk region. His wife Svitlana received the award.
22. Lieutenant Colonel Dmytro Kuchynskyi, a serviceman of the 80th separate Galician Air Assault Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He died defending his native land on 22 October 2022 in the village of Pidlyman, Kharkiv region. His wife Svitlana received the award.
23. Serviceman of the 103rd separate brigade of territorial defence of the regional directorate “West” of the Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Staff Sergeant Volodymyr Vlasov. He died for Ukraine on 25 October 2022 near the village of Stelmakhivka, Luhansk region. His children Dmytro and Oleksandr received the award.
24. Senior soldier Mykhailo Mytnyk, a serviceman of the 80th separate Galician Air Assault Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He died in a battle with the invaders on 26 October 2022 in the village of Nevske, Luhansk region. The award was presented to his mother Olha Ivanivna and son Ostap.
25. Senior soldier Taras Tysovskyi, a serviceman of the 2nd separate Galician Brigade of the Western Operational and Territorial Association of the National Guard of Ukraine. He gave his life for the Motherland on 1 November, 2022 in the village Pavlivka, Donetsk region. His son Bohdan received the award.
26. A soldier of the 53rd separate mechanised brigade named after Prince Volodymyr Monomakh of the Operational Command “East”, soldier Andrii Vitiuk. He died on 3 November 2022 in the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk region. The award was presented to his mother Myroslava Ivanivna.
27. Senior soldier Oleh Bohush, a serviceman of the 80th separate Galician Air Assault Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He died in a battle against the invaders on 6 November 2022 in the village of Ploshchanka, Luhansk region. His wife Yulia and daughter Polina received the award.
28. Captain Bohdan Dobrobabenko, a serviceman of the 60th separate infantry brigade of the Ingulets Reserve Corps of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He died in a battle against the invaders on 19 October 2022 in the village of Pyatikhatky, Kherson region. His son Ivan received the award.
29. Lieutenant Taras Chaika, a serviceman of the 125th separate territorial defence brigade of the regional directorate “West” of the Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He gave his life for Ukraine on 2 November 2022 near the village of Torske, Donetsk region. The award was presented to his mother, Alla Afanasievna.

After the awards were presented, the memory of all the Heroes was honoured with a joint prayer. The event was concluded with the spiritual hymn “O Great One God…”. The event was accompanied by the Gomin choir. An honour guard also served during the ceremony.