The title of Hero of Ukraine was awarded to an outstanding warrior who destroyed 24 occupants in one day.

On the Day of Defenders of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine to the commander of the 2nd Assault Group of the 3rd Assault Battalion of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, Andriy Serhiyenko (callsign 2.0). The corresponding decree was published on the official website of the head of state.

Serhiyenko was awarded the Order of the 'Golden Star'.

What is known about the fighter 2.0

In September 2023, during the liberation of the village of Andriyivka in Donetsk region, Andriy Serhiyenko destroyed 24 occupants in one day, and later, as a result of a severe injury, lost both his legs.

The young man was born in 2004 in Chernihiv region, studied at a railway college. At the age of 18, he joined the front as a volunteer after surviving the occupation: the Russians were in his settlement for about 40 days.

'My peers were put under the muzzle of a gun, shot at their feet,' Andriy recalled in an interview with the 'Ukrainian Witness' project. 'Some civilians were tied to the muzzle of a tank and left overnight. I didn't like any of this. The machine gun is pointed at you and you think: will there be a shot or not?'.

At the age of 19, the young man became the commander of the assault group of the 2nd Assault Battalion in the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade. In September 2023, he participated in the battles for Andriyivka, Bakhmut district.

Andriy was wounded in April 2024 near Terny in the Donetsk region. 'We were sitting in the trenches at the positions, and then 'the one-twenty' (a 120 mm caliber mine) comes. I felt how my legs were burning. I quickly realized that there would be a partial amputation and came to terms with the fact that I would be without legs. I also had a hole in my back. I gave myself first aid and reported via radio that I was 'three hundred'. Then I was evacuated', the soldier said.

In April 2024, a petition was created on the official website of the President of Ukraine to award Andriy the title of Hero of Ukraine. The fighter himself commented on this: 'Why not? For me, this is the highest award. If the command decided that I deserve it, then so be it'. The petition received the necessary number of votes.

Let's recall that for the Day of Defenders of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded the title of 'Hero of Ukraine' to 19 more servicemen. Ten of them were awarded posthumously.

In particular, the title of Hero of Ukraine was posthumously awarded to the legendary pilot Andriy Pilshchykov with the callsign Juice, who was called one of the 'Ghosts of Kyiv'