Zelenskyy presents Hero City of Ukraine honors to wartime cities

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday, April 9, presented honorary "Hero City of Ukraine" distinctions, the presidential press service said.

Among those honored were the Donetsk region cities of Druzhkivka, Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, Pokrovsk and Sloviansk, which long served as frontline strongholds and rear bases for Ukrainian defenders and are now coming under increasingly heavy enemy attacks and destruction.

In Zaporizhia region, the distinction was awarded to Huliaipole, around which heavy fighting continues, and Orikhiv, which has been under constant Russian strikes since the first days of the full-scale invasion.

In Kharkiv region, Kupiansk was honored as it remains in an active combat zone and under constant Russian shelling.

In Dnipropetrovsk region, the title was awarded to Marhanets, Nikopol and Pavlohrad, which are under constant enemy attack but continue to function thanks to the organization and resilience of their residents.

Starokostiantyniv in Khmelnytsky region also received the distinction. The city is strategically important for the country's defense and has been under constant Russian attack since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Sumy was also honored. The city was encircled at the start of Russia's full-scale aggression, but Ukrainians forced the occupiers to retreat. Trostianets in Sumy region, which was occupied on the first day of the full-scale invasion, was also recognized. The occupation lasted 31 days, but it was there that the Russian advance toward Okhtyrka, Lebedyn and Sumy was halted.

The president introduced the honorary "Hero City of Ukraine" distinction on March 6, 2022, awarding it to Volnovakha, Hostomel, Mariupol, Kharkiv, Kherson and Chernihiv. On March 24, 2022, it was awarded to Bucha, Irpin, Mykolaiv and Okhtyrka, and on September 30, 2025, to another 16 cities in seven regions of Ukraine. These were Bashtanka, Voznesensk, Huliaipole, Druzhkivka, Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, Kupiansk, Marhanets, Nikopol, Orikhiv, Pavlohrad, Pokrovsk, Sloviansk, Starokostiantyniv, Sumy and Trostianets. In total, 26 Ukrainian cities now hold the "Hero City of Ukraine" distinction.

Zelenskyy also presented awards to representatives of local self-government bodies and military administrations. He awarded the Order of Merit, First Class, to Myrhorod Mayor Serhiy Solomakha of Poltava region.

A number of Orders of Merit, Third Class, were also presented.

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov received the Order for Courage, Second Class; Bilenke village head Svitlana Zachepyla of Zaporizhia region received the Order of Princess Olha, Second Class; and Zaporizhia Regional Council head Olena Zhuk received the Order of Princess Olha, Third Class.