UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres awarded posthumously the head of the group of Russian military observers at the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lieutenant Colonel Alexey Mizyura, spokesman for the Russian Permanent Mission to the organization Fyodor Strzhizhovsky told reporters.
The International Day of Peacekeepers is celebrated around the world on May 29. On the eve of this date, a ceremony was held in the General Assembly Hall in memory of the peacekeepers who gave their lives in the line of duty as part of the UN peacekeeping contingents.
The UN secretary-general posthumously awarded the peacekeepers with the Dag Hammarskjold medal.
"The place in this tragic list was taken by the senior group of Russian military observers at the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lieutenant Colonel Alexey Mizyura," Strzhizhovsky said.
According to him, Mizyura "remained true to his duty to the last, sought to bring peace and stability to the Congolese land."
"High professionalism, as well as his inherent courage and courage, made it possible to successfully carry out the most important tasks, not to lose his presence of mind in the most difficult situations. Colleagues will forever remember him as a faithful comrade who served the cause of peace with honor and full dedication," noted the press secretary.
The medal was officially handed over to Vasily Nebenzya, permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, and will be sent to the relatives of the deceased in the near future.