For the first time in history, Ukrainian Serhiy Prykhodko was posthumously awarded the highest UN peacekeeping award

Ukrainian Serhiy Prykhodko was posthumously awarded the Captain Mbaye Diang Medal for exceptional courage, the highest UN peacekeeping award. This is the first time in history that a civilian has received this award.

This was reported by the airline "Ukrainian Helicopters", where Prykhodko worked.

The ceremony took place on June 5 at UN headquarters in New York on the occasion of the International Day of Peacekeepers. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres presented the award to the deceasedʼs daughter Yelyzaveta, and his wife Tetyana.

Serhiy Prykhodko died in March 2025 during a UN evacuation mission. Working as a flight attendant-rescuer on the crew, he covered people boarding the helicopter when they were fired upon.

Serhiy was mortally wounded. Two of his colleagues — Serhiy Muzyka and Dmytro Teplykh — were wounded, but were able to lift the damaged helicopter into the air and evacuate eight people.

• Ukrainian Helicopters is the largest helicopter operator in Ukraine. They have been working in UN peacekeeping missions for over 20 years and continue to provide monthly support to the families of fallen personnel.

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