But he also said that he tries to make sure every soldier understands why they are doing what they are doing and that he will do everything he can to ensure his country continues to exist and prospers.
Roman Mamavko, commander of the 24th Mechanized Brigade, awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine, has been praised by the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who released the above footage, along with a statement saying: “Commander of the 24th OMBr [Mechanized Brigade] named after King Danylo, Hero of Ukraine Roman Mamavko is a real military leader.”
Zaluzhnyi added: “Despite heavy losses and daily assaults by the enemy, the unit fulfilled its assigned combat tasks. I appreciate and am proud to stand in the same formation.”
The footage appears to show a compilation of the actions carried out by the 24th Mechanized Brigade, officially the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo, since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
In the footage, Mamavko, who holds the rank of colonel in the Ukrainian Army, says (in Ukrainian): “I am proud to serve in the 24th brigade and to have the honor of leading this brigade.
“I always tell my soldiers and officers the truth before performing any task, what we had to do, that it will be difficult, that maybe we will lose somebody, and why we are doing it.”
Mamavko, who in May was awarded the title of “Hero of Ukraine” by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, added: “And I try making every soldier know and understand why he is doing it, why he is risking his life.
“I will do the maximum for our country to ensure it exists and prospers.
“I will tell my grandchildren about the beautiful views of the Donbas, about beautiful nature, and that it was necessary to fight for this land.
“And that we did it. For our Ukraine.”
“Hero of Ukraine” is the top title that can be given to someone by the president of Ukraine. Mamavko, according to the Office of the President of Ukraine, has been the commander of the 24th Mechanized Brigade for the last two months after its previous commander, Junior Lieutenant Ihor Dykun, was wounded during the Battle of Irpin.
Dykun has also since been honored for his actions, being awarded with the Hero of Ukraine title shortly before Mamavko. The Office of the President of Ukraine states in a release on its website: “On March 23, during a battle in the area of the city of Irpenya, he, acting as deputy commander of a joint company, was wounded by a gunshot.
“Despite this, the battle continued, he personally destroyed ten infantrymen, one BMD and one BMP of the enemy.
“Colonel Roman Mamavko of the Ground Forces took command of the brigade after the commander was wounded, and during the two months of full-scale Russian aggression, he perfectly managed its units.”
The images were also relayed by Operational Command ‘West’ of the Ukrainian Armed Forces along with a short statement saying: “Roman Mamavko, commander of the 24th OMBr named after King Danylo, the Hero of Ukraine, is a true military leader.”
The images and the Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief’s statement were also relayed by the Office of Strategic Communications (StratCom) of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Ground forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin is calling a “special military operation.” Wednesday marks the 140th day of the invasion.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and July 13, Russia had lost about 37,570 personnel, 1,649 tanks, 3,832 armored combat vehicles, 839 artillery units, 247 multiple launch rocket systems, 109 air defense systems, 217 warplanes, 188 helicopters, 678 drones, 155 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 2,704 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 67 units of special equipment.
Other developments in the Russia-Ukraine war:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia “doesn’t have the courage” to admit defeat. He has also mocked Russia for apparently relying on aging weaponry. He also said that the outcome of the war was certain, thanks to the unity of his people and the strength of Ukraine’s military forces.
Grain shipments via the River Danube have increased, with a canal being reopened. An increased number of foreign ships are now able to reach Ukrainian ports to help export grain. Deputy Infrastructure Minister Yuriy Vaskov has said that the number of foreign ships has doubled. Ukraine has also reopened a decommissioned port.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov has hinted at plans to put together a “million-strong army” equipped with NATO weaponry to fight Russian troops, but the comments have been viewed more as a rallying cry than a concrete plan.
Reznikov has said that Western weaponry needs to be delivered to Ukraine faster. He said that for every day that they have to wait for howitzers to arrive, they can lose up to 100 soldiers.
The U.S. treasury announced Tuesday it was sending an additional $1.7 billion in economic aid to Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit Iran next week to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The meeting comes as the U.S. accuses Iran of preparing to provide Russia with hundreds of military drones for use in Ukraine.
Germany and the Czech Republic have signed a joint declaration, vowing to overcome their dependency on Russian fossil fuels and to speed up the transition to low-carbon energy.
Putin has signed a decree that makes it easier for Ukrainian citizens to acquire Russian citizenship.
This story was provided to Newsweek by Zenger News.
