© Office of the President of Ukraine
A petition on the Ukrainian President’s web platform won’t automatically lead to granting the Hero of Ukraine honor to a particular soldier, even if it gets the needed signature count, stated the Presidential Office in their answer to a LIGA.net’s query.
“In line with Article 4 of Ukraine’s Law “Regarding Governmental Honors of Ukraine”, the respective statutes and guidelines for state distinctions stipulate the grounds for bestowing such distinctions, including the necessary procedures and regulations,” conveys the content of the reply.
The OP clarified that under the regulations for conferring the Hero of Ukraine distinction, submissions to the President should originate from the Verkhovna Rada, the Cabinet, the Constitutional Court, the Prosecutor General's Office, governmental ministries, other central executive agencies, regional administrations, or the Presidential Commission on State Awards and Heraldry. The submission must contain the name and a standardized recommendation letter, specifically outlining the distinct achievements that warrant the title’s request.
The report highlighted that as of the middle of August, over 10,000 petitions were logged on the presidential website advocating for conferring the Hero title on Ukrainian military members.
Responding to 18 such petitions on October 7, Zelensky stated that an evaluation of these requests is initially conducted by a specialized group within the Presidential Commission on State Awards and Heraldry. He added that certain individuals had already been given specific honors requested in the petitions.
Previously, on October 1, Zelensky bestowed the title of Hero of Ukraine to eleven military personnel, four of whom received it posthumously. On that same day, he also posthumously honored MP Andriy Parubiy, ex-political detainee Gennady Afanasyev, 16-year-old Kramatorsk resident Stepan Chubenko, and author Volodymyr Vakulenko with the Hero of Ukraine distinction.