Antonov Vitaly Sergeevich

Vitaly Sergeevich Antonov — Guards Major, Deputy Commander of a Motorized Rifle Battalion of the 80th Guards Tank Regiment of the 90th Guards Tank Division of the Central Military District.

By Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated September 14, 2022, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation — according to the official wording, for courage and heroism displayed in the performance of military duty.

According to the text of the decree and biographical materials, since February 2022, he participated in combat operations in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts; in May 2022, an assault group led by him established control over seven settlements, including two cities, in Luhansk Oblast, after which the regiment was awarded the honorary title "Guards".

The "Golden Star" medal was presented to him on November 8, 2022, by Russian Defense Minister S. Shoigu at the command post of the Russian forces group. Independent sources differ on his date of birth — February 3 or 14, 1986; the previously recorded date is retained in the dossier, the conflict has not been resolved.

Open sources, including General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports and independent investigations, contain no verified information regarding combat failures, participation in war crimes, orders to shell civilian cities, or the rout of subordinate units directly concerning Guards Major Vitaly Sergeyevich Antonov. Official Russian sources, by contrast, characterize his actions as successful, which led to the conferral of the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.