These 10 hryven coins were struck in 2021—the year before Russia’s illegal and ill-fated invasion of Ukraine—by the National Bank of Ukraine, as part of a set of collectible issues, honoring the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On the reverse is the semicircular legend ??????? (Ukraine); under the legend are Ukraine's small coat of arms (to the left) and the shoulder patch of the airborne force of Ukraine’s Armed Forces (to the right); in the center, against a smooth background, is the emblem of the airborne force of Ukraine’s Armed Forces; to the left of the emblem are the face value 10 and the graphic symbol of the hryvnia; to the right of the emblem is the coin’s issue year - 2021; beneath is the semicircular legend ????????-???????? ??????? ??? (the airborne force of Ukraine’s Armed Forces); under the coin issue year is the mint mark of the NBU’s Banknote Printing and Minting Works. On the obverse is a paratrooper, wearing medieval armor and bearing a longsword. On his back are wings, a symbol of the Archangel Michael, patron saint of the army. With a war Vladimir Putin foolishly believed would be over in three days now in its second year, and Russia losing badly, the Archangel’s protection seems more than symbolic.
