Zelenskyy awarded the commander of the Charter the title of Hero of Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine to Colonel Ihor Obolenskyi, commander of the “Charter” 2nd Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine.
The military officer was awarded this state honor, along with the Order of the “Golden Star,” for his personal courage and heroism in defending Ukraine’s state sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for his selfless service to the people.
Ihor Obolensky, whose call sign is “Kornet,” took command of “Charter” at the very outset of the full-scale Russian invasion. Created as a volunteer unit by the Kharkiv territorial community to defend the city, the unit later became part of the National Guard of Ukraine and was designated as the 13th Operational Brigade. Under Obolensky’s leadership, the brigade earned a reputation as one of the most effective and technologically advanced units of the National Guard of Ukraine on the most challenging sections of the front. In April 2025, the colonel was appointed commander of the newly formed Second Corps of the National Guard, “Charter.”
Obolensky has extensive military and professional experience. He graduated from the Bohdan Khmelnytsky Military Institute of Rocket Forces and Artillery and holds master’s degrees in law and agronomy. Since 2014, he has participated in battles for Kramatorsk and Sloviansk as part of an artillery brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the “Omega” special forces unit, and later commanded the 1st Battalion of the National Guard’s 4th Special Operations Brigade.
In 2019, he was discharged to the reserve and held leadership positions at major business companies, including MHP and “Agrotrade.” With the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, he returned to the military. Colonel Obolensky is also the co-author of a comprehensive handbook on the ideology and history of the “Charter” Brigade, and in February 2026, he received an award from the city of Lviv—the “Iron Lion” badge.
This is reported in Official Presidential Decree No. 601/2026.
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