President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on May 26, designating May 27 as Special Operations Forces Day in Ukraine to honor the bravery of SOF fighters in the 2014 Donetsk Airport battles, replacing a 2016 decree.
The decree, published on the presidential website, pays tribute to the “courage and heroism” of SOF soldiers in defending Ukraine’s freedom, independence, and territorial integrity, aiming to establish new military traditions.
It nullifies a July 26, 2016, decree that previously set the Special Operations Forces Day.
The Special Operations Forces command explained that on May 27, 2014, special forces regiments, later forming the SOF, alongside other defense units, liberated the Donetsk Airport’s new terminal and raised Ukraine’s flag.