The farewell ceremony for 18 cadets of the Kharkiv National University of the Air Force named after Ivan Kozhedub and seven pilots who died in the An-26 plane crash near Chuguev was held on October 6 in Kharkiv. This is reported on the official website of the President of Ukraine.
The funeral ceremony took place on Svobody Square in Kharkiv, and was attended by President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife.
During the ceremony, the names and surnames of those killed in the plane crash were announced. The National Anthem of Ukraine was played by the military band. The soldiers placed the coffins with the bodies of the dead on pedestals and wrapped them with the state flag.
Three military planes flew over Svobody Square. The memory of the dead was honored with a minute of silence.
Also, during the ceremony, they showed a video with portraits of the dead cadets and An-26 crew members.
As a reminder, on board the plane that crashed on September 25, there were 20 cadets of the Kharkiv National University of the Air Force named after Ivan Kozhedub and seven crew members. 25 people died at the scene of the tragedy, cadet Vitaliy Olkhovoi died in the hospital from his wounds. Another cadet, Vyacheslav Zolochevsky, survived and was hospitalized.
The President of Ukraine awarded 27 military medals "For military service to Ukraine", 26 of them posthumously. The corresponding decree was signed by the head of state on October 6.
