UN Honors Two Peacekeepers for Life-Saving Heroism

Two peacekeepers who ran toward danger while others fled will receive the United Nations' highest award for courage next month.

Sergii Prykhodko volunteered to replace a less experienced pilot for a dangerous rescue mission in South Sudan in March 2025. The Ukrainian contractor knew the risks when he climbed into the helicopter to extract besieged soldiers in Upper Nile State. Despite assurances of safe passage, his aircraft came under heavy fire. Prykhodko was killed and two crew members were injured, but his willingness to step into harm's way helped save lives during escalating violence.

Sergeant Matias Reyes of Uruguay showed similar courage in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, when fierce fighting erupted between armed groups and Congolese forces. While securing his UN base entrance in January 2025, Reyes repeatedly ran into the line of fire to rescue wounded Congolese soldiers seeking refuge.

He made trip after trip through heavy gunfire, eventually carrying 12 gravely wounded soldiers to safety and the temporary medical tent. Every journey could have been his last, but Reyes kept going back.

Both men will receive the Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage on June 5th at UN Headquarters. The award honors peacekeepers who demonstrate extraordinary bravery in the face of extreme danger.

Why This Inspires

These stories remind us that heroism isn't about never feeling fear. It's about acting anyway when lives hang in the balance. Prykhodko could have let someone else fly that helicopter. Reyes could have stayed behind cover. Instead, both men chose service over safety.

More than 50,000 peacekeepers currently serve under the UN flag across 11 missions worldwide. They monitor ceasefires, clear landmines, protect civilians, and deliver humanitarian aid in some of the world's most dangerous places. Nearly 4,500 have given their lives since UN peacekeeping began in 1948, including 59 in the past year alone.

UN Secretary General António Guterres calls peacekeeping a proven and cost-effective tool for stabilizing conflicts and protecting civilians. He's urging the international community to invest more political and financial support for these missions, especially as conflicts grow more complex and resources become tighter.

Reyes continues serving under the blue flag in the Democratic Republic of Congo, carrying on the work that nearly cost him his life.