KYIV. July 29 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has presented the For Courage medal to Ukrainian pilot Oleksandr Akopov, who earlier performed an emergency landing of a damaged passenger liner at the Istanbul airport Ataturk.

The press service of the Ukrainian president reported that according to the decree of the head of state, Akopov was awarded a high state award for courage and selflessness shown in the line of his duty and high professionalism.

Akopov, who works as a pilot on the flights of the Turkish company Atlasglobal, saved the lives of 121 passengers and 6 crew members in extremely difficult weather conditions on July 27, flawlessly completing the landing of an emergency passenger liner at Istanbul Ataturk Airport.