On April 16, 2026, a ceremony to honor the memory of the fallen serviceman, Captain Vitaliy Zaporizhsky, was held in Chuguiv. On the eve of the anniversary of the soldier's death, the head of the Chuguiv City Military Administration, Galina Minaeva, together with a representative of the Chuguiv CCC and the Joint Venture, presented the wife of the fallen Hero, Lilia Alexandrovna, with a state award - the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd degree.
In accordance with the Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 989 of December 25, 2025, Vitaliy Zaporizhsky was awarded posthumously for personal courage shown in protecting the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as for selfless performance of military duty.
Vitaliy served in the 125th separate battalion of the Territorial Defense Forces and performed combat missions in the most difficult areas of the front. During his life, he was awarded a number of awards, including the Order of the President of Ukraine "For the Defense of Ukraine" and the honorary breastplate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine "Silver Cross". On April 17, 2025, in the Kupyansk direction, he died while performing a combat mission as a result of an enemy strike from a drone. The soldier was buried in Chuguiv on the Alley of Memory.
You can read more about the life path of Vitaliy Zaporizhsky in the Book of Remembrance on the official website of the Chuguiv City Council at the link: