Biletskyi received the Hero of Ukraine title and the Order of the Gold Star “for personal courage and heroism demonstrated in defending Ukraine’s state sovereignty and territorial integrity, and for selfless service to the Ukrainian people.”
A number of other Ukrainian service members were also awarded the Hero of Ukraine title and Order of the Gold Star under presidential decrees dated Aug. 21-22:
- Chief Sgt. Danylo Biianov;
- Col. Ruslan Maryshev, commander of the 95th Brigade;
- soldier Oleksandr Khomei, posthumously;
- Col. Eduard Kolodii;
- Maj. Yurii Spaskykh;
- Senior Sgt. Rostyslav Vardanian;
- sailor Volodymyr Vereshchaka;
- Petro Nasikovskyi, commander of an aviation unit of the State Emergency Service’s Special Aviation Detachment;
- Chief Sgt. Serhii Panaiotov;
- police Capt. Serhii Panfilov.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also posthumously awarded the Hero of Ukraine title to military archaeologist Oleksii Yukov under an Aug. 21 decree.
Yukov led the Platsdarm search group, which recovered the bodies of fallen Ukrainian service members from the front.
Foreign politicians and Ukrainian service members also received state decorations, many of them posthumously.