Zelenskyy moves Day of Special Operations Forces to May 27

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has established the celebration of the Day of Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine every May 27. This is stated in Decree No. 346 of May 26, the Ukrainian News agency reports.

"Honoring the courage and heroism of the soldiers of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, shown in the fight for freedom, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as in order to establish new military traditions, I hereby decree: to establish in Ukraine the Day of Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which shall be celebrated every May 27," the decree states.

At the same time, Zelenskyy declared Presidential Decree No. 311 of July 26, 2016, according to which the Day of Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was to be celebrated every July 29.

According to the message of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces on the Telegram channel, on May 27, 2014, soldiers of special forces regiments, future SOF officers, together with their comrades from other components of the Defense Forces, conducted an operation to liberate the new terminal of the Donetsk airport from enemy troops and installed the flag of Ukraine.

By a separate order of the commander of the Special Operations Forces, Major General Oleksandr Trepak, the date of July 29 was designated as the day of honoring the fallen soldiers of the Special Operations Forces.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, in May 2024, Zelenskyy appointed Oleksandr Trepak as the commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces, replacing Serhii Lupanchuk.