MOSCOW, December 21. /TASS/. More than 100,000 people have received state awards as part of the special operation, 120 of them were awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, and more than 260,000 servicemen received combat experience, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Wednesday at an expanded meeting of the ministry’s Board with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Russian servicemen have shown courage, resilience and selflessness during the special military operation. More than 100,000 people have been awarded state decorations, 120 of them have been awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. During the special operation more than 260,000 professional servicemen gained combat experience," he said.
The defense chief also recalled that at the end of May Russian troops completely liberated a large industrial center in Mariupol from enemy forces. The city had been turned into a powerful fortification by the Kiev regime, the core of which was the industrial zone of the Azovstal steel plant. As a result of the plant's seizure by Russian forces, more than 4,000 Ukrainian fighters were killed, while another 2,500 militants and servicemen laid down their weapons and surrendered.