A street named after Hero of Ukraine Vasyl Kopan has been unveiled in Kyiv

At its plenary session on March 26, 2026, the Kyiv City Council adopted a resolution to rename Chervonaya Street to Vasyl Kopan Street. The new name honors the memory of the fallen commander of the reconnaissance unit of the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov” of the National Guard of Ukraine. 

According to Viktoria Mukha, chair of the Culture Committee, this decision is part of a consistent policy to eliminate Russian influence from the capital’s public space and to immortalize the names of the state’s defenders, the Kyiv City State Administration press service reports.

Vasyl Kopan was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine and a number of other high state awards, including the Order “For Courage” (3rd class) and the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky (3rd class). He was also awarded the “Silver Cross” and “For Courage” badges, as well as departmental distinctions from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The inclusion of his name in the city’s toponymy underscores the soldier’s status as the embodiment of the indomitable spirit of the modern Ukrainian pantheon of heroes.

This renaming took place against the backdrop of the ongoing process of derussification in Kyiv and active combat operations at the front, where the Defense Forces continue to repel Russian attacks. At the same time, work continues in the capital to strengthen air defense and protect critical infrastructure, particularly water supply systems, which, according to intelligence reports, are targets for future enemy operations.

The Kyiv City Council renamed Volgo-Donska Street in honor of the fallen soldier and Hero of Ukraine Pavlo Petrychenko. This decision was adopted at today’s meeting, during which council members renamed 10 locations in the capital whose names were associated with the aggressor country.

The Lviv City Council adopted a decision to rename Gipsova Street to Igor Yukhnovsky Street.