President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree changing the date for celebrating the Day of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The new date for the celebration is set for May 27, which is an important date for Ukrainian special forces.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Reasons for the Change and Historical Significance
In his decree, the president emphasized that
«honoring the courage and heroism of the soldiers of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, demonstrated in the struggle for freedom, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine»
, he established the new date for the celebration. According to the document, the celebration has been moved from July 29, the previous date, to May 27.
Reportedly, on May 27, 2014, Ukrainian special forces, along with other defense forces, conducted an important operation to liberate the terminal of Donetsk Airport from pro-Russian militants, raising the Ukrainian flag there. This date is symbolic for Ukrainian military personnel, as it reflects their struggle for the independence and integrity of the country.
Response from the Special Operations Forces and Official Comments
The command of the special operations forces noted that on this day in 2014, the courage of Ukrainian soldiers was demonstrated. They emphasized: «On this day (May 27 – ed.) in 2014, soldiers of the special operations regiments, the future SSO, together with comrades from other law enforcement agencies, conducted an operation to liberate the new terminal of Donetsk Airport from enemy forces and raised the Ukrainian flag».
At the same time, the command noted that the order of the commander of the special operations forces, Major General Oleksandr Trepak, provides for commemorating the day of honoring fallen heroes on July 29, as a day of remembrance and mourning for the fallen soldiers.
The establishment of the special operations forces within the Armed Forces of Ukraine took place in January 2016, and since then this unit has played a key role in carrying out special tasks, particularly in the conflict zone in the east of the country.