President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met and presented state awards to the participants of the national Paralympic team of Ukraine – champions and prize-winners of the XVIII Summer Paralympic Games in Paris.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and Minister of Youth and Sports Matviy Bidnyi also attended the ceremony, the presidential press service reported.

The President emphasized that Ukraine is proud of all its sports heroes, as the Paralympians have once again shown the world that Ukrainians are a nation of strong people.

"Your victories have once again proven that our people are capable of overcoming absolutely any obstacles and challenges, and they know how to fight and win like no other," the President stressed.

Zelenskyy thanked the athletes for the countless priceless, heartwarming emotions they have brought to Ukrainians during these challenging times.

"Thank you for your strength, for your ability to rise above any circumstances. And I want to thank our entire team of Ukraine – everyone who works with the team, who helps, and who supports you continuously," he said.

He recalled that 138 athletes in 17 sports took part in the Paralympic Games. The Ukrainian Paralympians brought Ukraine an extremely inspiring result: 82 medals - 22 gold, 28 silver and 32 bronze.