Russian propaganda resources recently spread a rumor that allegedly “officers of the 95th Rifle Brigade began to be awarded with pistols due to threats from relatives of militants” – that is, from relatives of soldiers of the unit who died. In this rumor, the number of the brigade or other unit does not matter. The principle itself is important – to denigrate any element of the military branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to turn its content into some shameful, humiliating story. More about this in the material.
Fake
A number of Russian propaganda telegram channels, including one of the top trash cans “Ukropsky Fresh”, spread a post that allegedly (further according to the content of the rumor): “Officers of the 95th Rifle Brigade began to be awarded with pistols due to threats from relatives of militants. Recently, Ukraine has been shaken by protests by relatives of missing fighters. Particularly active are close fighters of units that participated in the Kursk adventure of the Kyiv regime. This is also typical for the 95th separate brigade, whose relatives regularly went to protests. However, some are not limited to public events – many officers began to receive threats from relatives of the dead and missing defenders. Of course, the officers were scared and they ran to complain to the command. The same decided to start actively awarding officers with pistols so that they would have weapons even far from the front line” https://surl.lu/iumxlx.
Such posts are supported by relevant photos.
In fact, Russian propagandists distorted the real event and put a completely different meaning into it. Namely.
On September 9, several dozen servicemen of the 95th separate airborne assault brigade in Zhytomyr received state awards and decorations of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. According to the press service of the unit, several dozen soldiers received state awards and decorations of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. Among them are the Order of Bogdan Khmelnytsky of the 3rd degree, the Orders of Courage of the 2nd and 3rd degrees, the Medal for a Life Saved, the Medals for Military Service to Ukraine, the Medal for Defender of the Fatherland, and the Medal of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for Firearms. https://surli.cc/mmhrmq
The justification for this event does not state that the awards were presented specifically for the fighting in Kursk.
But on August 7, 2025, the President of Ukraine presented state awards to servicemen of the Zhytomyr 95th Airborne Assault Brigade of the Polissya Brigade precisely for participating in hostilities during the Kursk operation. https://surl.li/himlvn
So the propagandists unreasonably combined two events with the awarding of the servicemen of the 95th separate airborne assault brigade into one in their propaganda.
As for the award of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine “Firearm”, its presentation to military personnel, especially during martial law and direct hostilities, is a common practice. And the 95th brigade is no exception.
On April 29, 1995, by Decree of the President of Ukraine L. D. Kuchma No. 341/95, the award of the President of Ukraine “Personal Firearm” was established. The decree also approved the Regulations and description of the award. On the same day, the awards of the President of Ukraine “For Courage” – the star “For Courage” and the cross “For Courage” – were established.
On March 16, 2000, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law of Ukraine “On State Awards of Ukraine”, which established the state award of Ukraine – the award “Personal Firearm”. It was established that the effect of this Law extends to legal relations related to the awarding of persons awarded with the decorations of the President of Ukraine before the entry into force of this Law; the President of Ukraine was recommended to bring his decrees into line with this Law. https://surl.li/rtlgfo
In 2017, the Ministry of Defense made amendments to the Regulations on departmental incentive decorations of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine “Firearms” and “Cold Weapons”, which are aimed at clarifying the circle of persons who can be awarded.
In particular, if earlier paragraph 1.7 of the Regulations allowed any capable person who has the right to acquire, store and use such weapons in accordance with the requirements of current legislation to be awarded, now this paragraph is set out in a new wording: “1.7. Decorations are awarded to servicemen who are subject to the Disciplinary Statute of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The decorations may be awarded to citizens who are discharged from military service or are in the reserve with the right to wear a military uniform. Persons awarded the decoration must strictly comply with the requirements of the law regarding the storage, carrying, use and application of weapons. ”
The Regulations have also been supplemented with a new paragraph:
“1.9. A person may be awarded the decorations “Firearms” and “Cold Weapons” only once.” https://surl.li/nrzhhs
In 2022, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine lifted the restrictions on the number of award weapons that can be awarded to one person. The corresponding order was signed by Minister Oleksiy Reznikov.
In particular, the Order of the Ministry of Defense No. 196 of July 19, 2020, from the Regulations on the Departmental Incentive Awards of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine “Firearms” and “Cold Weapons” excludes paragraph 1.9, which limited the number of awards at one time: 1.9. A person can be awarded the awards “Firearms” and “Cold Weapons” only once. https://surl.li/pknnne
In general, the awarding of the awards “Firearms” is regulated by the “Law of Ukraine on State Awards”. https://surl.lu/igvlzh
In addition, the use of such weapons is regulated by another document – the “Law of Ukraine On Weapons” https://surl.li/uqmfhx.
Therefore, no one can, as propagandists write, “run and ask” for such awards. All this is not true and is a fake.
