Honoring Heroes: Rescuer's Day in Ukraine
On the occasion of Rescuer's Day, President Volodymyr Zelensky met with employees of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, congratulating them on their holiday and presenting state awards.
He emphasized that every day and night, following enemy attacks from Russia, all necessary services arrive on the scene, with firefighters, rescue workers, and medics always ready to help. Additionally, when needed, sappers, engineers, psychologists, and aviation are at work.
«Thousands of Ukrainian lives have been saved thanks to your efforts. Your professionalism has preserved thousands of infrastructure facilities. It's also important to highlight the work of the «Phoenix» evacuation groups that rescue people from under fire in extremely dangerous conditions», – stated Volodymyr Zelensky.
The President also expressed gratitude to all those who support professional rescuers in their work.
He called for everyone to remember those who gave their lives to save others. The attendees honored the memory of fallen rescuers with a moment of silence.
«The cruelty of the enemy is manifested in repeated strikes. Often these strikes occur when rescuers have already begun to provide assistance after the first strike, aimed at reducing the chances of saving lives», – said Volodymyr Zelensky.
The President awarded the «Golden Star» order to the Hero of Ukraine, Colonel of the Civil Defense Service Viktor Kuzmenko. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, he has participated in 49 operations to eliminate the consequences of attacks on critical infrastructure in Poltava region. In February, he led a group of rescuers to extinguish a fire following a Russian strike on a gas processing facility where high-pressure gas pipelines ignited.
Moreover, the Head of State awarded 21 rescuers with the «For Courage» orders of II–III degrees and one rescuer with the Order of Princess Olga III degree.
