“For courage and heroism shown in the performance of military duty, to award the title of Hero of the Russian Federation to Senior Lieutenant Popov Alexander Nikolaevich (posthumously),” the document says.
According to TASS, Popov sacrificed his life in order to hold a strategically important line during a special military operation to protect Donbass.
Earlier, Putin awarded the title of Hero of Russia posthumously to the battalion commander of Sparta, Colonel Vladimir Zhoga with the call sign Vokha.