Losses of the Ukrainian Army over March

March of 2018 has been one of the quietest and least gory months since the beginning of the war. This came as the result of the “total spring truce”, announced on the 5^th of March. Still combat actions took lives of ten Ukrainian patriots – husbands, sons, brothers and comrades. The eldest of them was 46, the youngest one – just 19 years old.

Let us look into their faces and pay tribute to their memory. Let us remember them once again. May they never be forgotten.

Vadym Sapescu, callsign Odesa

Sapescu Vadym Heorhiiovych, a fighter of the 1^st Air Assault battalion of the 95^th Brigade, was killed by an enemy sniper’s bullet near Avdiivka, on the 2^nd of March.

A Romanian by nationality, he was born on the 22^nd of April, 1984, in the village of Chorna located in Oknyanskyi district, Odesa region, near Moldova border. He lived in the town of Yuzhne in Odesa region. Used to work at agricultural and fishing companies and as a construction worker throughout the country, in particular, in Donetsk region.

In February, 2016 he started his contract service in the AFU. Served as a unit commander at the special training squad titled “Marusyni Vedmedi” (“Marusia’s Bears”) of the 199^th training center of the Airborne Troops; later he headed to the forefront where fought in the vicinity of Horlivka. He got a concussion there but returned to the frontline where he remained even after completion of his contract service.

Vadym was buried in his home village of Chorna. He is survived by his wife and a 3-year-old son; mother and two brothers.

Vladyslav Kozchenko

Kozchenko Vladyslav Ihorovych, a soldier, a sniper shooter of the air assault unit of the 95^th Air Assault Brigade, got a shrapnel penetrating injury to the neck in “Promka” industrial zone near Avdiivka, Donetsk region. He became the first victim to the “complete spring ceasefire”.

Vlad was born on the 10^th of April, 1997, in Poltava city. He used to go in for Tai boxing. Since his childhood he wanted to be a military, a paratrooper; got trained at Gvardia Poltava city young paratroopers’ club based at college #23, then at the Seal center for survival and special training; practiced skydiving and climbing. On finishing gymnasium education, he continued studies at the agricultural economical college where he obtained the speciality of a lawyer.

In June of 2016 Vlad entered the military service on a contract basis. He preferred to join the 95^th Zhytomyr Air Assault brigade to be able to support the family where his mother had to raise two brothers, Vlad and his sibling, on her own. He decided to finish his education after the war. Being lower than the threshold height requirements (165 cm), while measuring it within medical examination, the guy had to stand tip-toe to pass the board responsible for issuing permissions for entering the military service.

Vlad Kovchenko was seen off by his young fiancée to his eternal rest place in the central cemetery of Poltava city. The guy’s grave has become the 18^th in the row at the Alley of Heroes in Poltava’s city cemetery. He has become the youngest in this sad line and remained in his 20 years for ever.

Ivan Riashchenko, callsign Skif

A junior sergeant, an APC’s commander, the commander of the unit of the 2^nd Mechanized battalion of the AFU’s 54^th Mechanized Brigade, Ivan was killed in the evening on the March, 8^th.

“A cheerful, kind-hearted, sturdy guy, our favorite rascal; our unit’s symbol; an insistent and open-minded person that you rarely come across in your life” – these are the characteristics the 34-years-old Skif’s comrades attribute to him.

Ivan was born on the 24^th of March, 1983, in the town if Vilnohirsk, Dnipropetrovsk region. As a kid, he lost his mother, so get raised by his grandma in the village of Vyshneve, Pyatykhatkyi district. He got the profession of a driver at Saksahanskyi professional training college #77. Used to work in Vilnohirsk at a local mining and metallurgical plant and at a glassware factory.

At war, he took the callsign Skif because he was keen on history, especially on that of the Skif era in the Ukrainian culture. Since June, 2015 he was mobilized and served at the 28^th Mechanized Brigade (rocket-propelled artillery division, the 1^st mechanized battalion). In September of 2016 he signed a contract and fought with the 54^th Mechanized Brigade in the Svitlodarska bulge, near Troitske, and in Avdiivka industrial zone. In February of 2018 he got a concussion but in some time returned to the forefront; just in four days after his comeback he was killed.

Ivan is survived by his wife, little son ad two step kids. Buried in the village of Vyshneve.

Yuriy Luhovskyi, callsign Barret

On the night of March, 9^th, about 2:15 AM, a prominent reconnaissance officer, a sniper of the Azov Battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine, Yuriy Luhovskyi, callsign Barret, was killed. He was a deputy commander of the reconnaissance unit of the 1^st Azov Special Forces battalion.

That night in the vicinity of Vodiane village near Mariupol, there was a group sniper battle. Both parties were equipped with thermal vision devices and thermal weapon scopes. Barret was first to spot the enemy, and his shot proved accurate. He also spotted the another sniper from the enemy pair. Still the opponent’s shot came earlier. It proved fatal for Luhovskyi.

He had just turned 23. Yuriy was born on the 5^th of June in 1994, in the town of Chervonohrad, Lviv region. As a kid he used to serve at the religious ceremonies that took place at the local church. He learnt the profession of a woodman and later worked according this specialty. Yuriy used to get engaged in the UNSO activities; he was in for the military training and later became a coach himself. Took active part in the Revolution of Dignity.

He joined the military service as a volunteer of the Donbas battalion in 2014. The guy took up the “Skif” callsign honoring the memory of an engineer, author of design of the American made sniper rifle. While he was just 20 years old, he went through the battles for Ilovaisk. In February of 2015 he was transferred to the Azov Battalion, and stood in defense of Mariupol and Shyrokyne with it. He was one of the Azov’s most skilled scouts, and used to continuously advance into the grey zone with his group. He was engaged in laying mines, watching, waiting in secret places for days; used to come back bringing trophies… Barret was a legend even among his comrades of the same squadron.

Yuriy was buried in this home village of Bendota, at the Alley of Heroes in the Chervonohrad cemetery. He is survived by his mother who works as a volunteer psychologist at a rehabilitation center for ATO fighters.

Oleksandr Shvets

Oleksandr Shvets, a 46-years-old junior sergeant, fighter of 36^th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Naval Forces of the AFU (m/u A2802), was killed on March, 11, about 11:00 AM, near Mariupol. A spotter of a mortar unit died of complex shrapnel injuries following the UED explosion that struck while he was on combat mission on provision transfer. Shvets was a driver of the truck that gone blown up.

Oleksandr Vasyliyovych was born on June 26^th, 1971, in Oleksandria, Kyrovohrad region. He studied at Horky school №2. After finishing it, he went to the Professional Training College №17 where he got the profession of a metal construction and stamping equipment engineer. Then the guy continued his studies at Oleksandria industrial college. On graduating Mr. Sashko worked as a metal constructor engineer and then a coach at his home college; since 2013 – at Vira-Service Intermach company.

In 2015, he was mobilized to the AFU. The next year he signed a contract for military service. He took the position of a gunner in the 2^nd mortar unit of the Marine battalion’s mortar battery.

Buried in Oleksandria military cemetery. He is survived by his mother, wife and children.

Mark Hudzovskyi, callsign Upryamyi (Stubborn)

A senior soldier of the 3^rd company of the 1^st Azov special forces battalion of the National Guard, Mark Hudzovskyi was fighting near Vodyane, in the same battle where Barret was killed, on the night of March, 9^th.

The National Guard fighters were assisting the Marines, and the 20-years-old Upryamyi worked as a machine gun operator in the group of Azov fighters. After Barret was killed, Mark continued fighting. The next night (about 1:00 PM on the 10^th of March) the fight renewed. Unfortunately, it proved fatal for Mark. A sniper’s bullet hit him on the forehead and came out through the back of his head. Hudzovsky underwent a surgery in the 61^st field military hospital in Mariupol. On its completion, in critical condition he was transferred by helicopter to his home city of Dnipro. The doctors said he had no chances of surviving.

Mark passed away at the intensive care of the Polytrauma unit of Mechnykov hospital, not having recovered from a coma, on the Volunteer Day, March 14^th.

He was born in Dnipro on May 21^st, 1997. The guy was keen on football, bodybuilding, computer technologies. After finishing school, he continued education at the Economic Faculty of the Ukraine’s State Chemical Technological University as a financier. At 18 Mark volunteered to the front. He joined the Azov regimen in August, 2015. Later, he resumed studies at the university, having shifted to a distant form of education.

Mark was buried in Krasnopilske cemetery in Dnipro, where there is the biggest number of the ATO fallen heroes’ graves. He is survived by his parents and two sisters.

Serhiy Kovnatskyi

A senior soldier of the 1^st Air Assault battalion of the 95^th Air Assault Brigade Serhiy Kovnatskyi was killed in the morning of March, 25^th due to the shotgun wound caused by a sniper bullet while at combat guard on the position near Butivka coalmine in the Donetsk outskirts. The fallen warrior was just 22 years old.

Serhiy was born on the 27^th of August, 1995, in the village of Yasenivka, Pulynskyi district, Zhytomyr region. He lived in the small town of Pulyny. Used to be a player of a local football team. In 2013 he graduated from the local professional training college where he obtained the professions of a tractor driver, an agricultural mechanical engineer, a locksmith and a driver.

In April of 2016 he joined the AFU having signed a contract for military service – the guy joined the Airborne troops. Since December of 2017 Serhiy was fighting in the forefront together with his comrades from the same brigade. On the upcoming completion of his contract service the guy planned to get married in May.

He was buried in his native village of Pulyny. He is survived by his fiancée and father, a combatant as well, and mother, brother and sister.

Andriy Kryvych, callsign Dilly

A 19-years-old volunteer of the Sapsan tactical group of the Right Sector Volunteer Corps, Andriy Kryvych callsign Dilly was killed on the 27^th of March at 20:40 due to a shotgun wound caused by a sniper bullet at a checkpoint in the Svitlodarska bulge.

Andriy was born on the 24^th of January, 1999, in the town of Konotop, Sumy region. Since 2016 the guy studied at the Institute of Pedagogics and Psychology of Sumy Pedagogical university; aspired to become a military psychologist. There he joined the Konotop division of the Right Youth organization where he participated in trainings on tactical medicine, topography and weapon handling. At the latest winter training session in Cherkasy he acted as a junior coach in combat tactics and guerilla activities.

In the late 2017 he joined the Ukraine’s Volunteer Corps. In January of 2018 he shifted to a distant form of education to be able to move to the forefront. During his second rotation in the Svitlodarska bulge (Bakhmut district) he was engaged in aerial reconnaissance.

Buried in the town of Konotop, in Vyrivske cemetery. Andriy is survived by his parents, sister and brother and step sister and brother on the father’s side.

Victor Maxymov

Victor Maxymov, who was 33, was killed in a week before the Easter. The man was a soldier who served as a driver, mechanic and electrician with the reconnaissance company of the division of the 93^rd Mechanized Brigade. 10 days prior to his death, on the 20^th of March, 2018, Victor renewed his military contract.

The man was born on the 8^th of May, 1984, in the village of Raiivka, Dnipropetrovsk region; lived in the city of Dnipro. On completion of his higher education he began to work at law enforcement agencies.

Victor has been the ATO participant since the spring of 2014. On finishing his service within mobilization, he continued to perform his military duty in the Air-Defence troops. In September of 2017 on signing a contract for six months, he was transferred to the 93^rd Mechanized Brigade.

On the 30^th of March Victor Maxymov along with his three comrades hit an unidentified explosive device in Donetsk region (the Brigade’s zone of responsibility covered Novotroiitske and Hranitne vicinities). His injury proved incompatible with life; the rest of fighters were lucky to stay alive.

Victor is survived by his wife and daughter.

Victor Shamchuk, callsign Shama

47-years-old Victor Shamchuk from the 30^th Brigade was killed late in the evening on the 28^th of March in the Donetsk Group of Forces’ responsibility zone near Mariinka.

Victor took the position of a senior soldier, the deputy commander of an APC, a gunman operator. He was born in the 16^th of July, 1970. Lived in the village of Drabovo-Bariatynske, Drabiv district, Cherkasy region. He has been sesving his contract service in the AFU since July of 2017.

The circumstances of Shama’s death remain unclear: according to the 30^th Mechanized Brigade, these are being officially investigated. In particular, the investigation is aimed to find whether the soldier died following the shotgun injury or due to an IED explosion. Comrades noticed Shama was missing, on the 27^th of March. The next day his body was found on the other side of delimitation line. His body was taken from there by an Evacuation 200 group who transferred it to the morgue. Some separatists’ sources said that “the Ukrainian scout” was a member of a Ukrainian “saboteur group” (which obviously was untrue) who stepper a landmine in a minefield near the village of Luhanske, Mariinka district. The militants said they found two bodies which can neither be confirmed.

Eternal glory to the fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives for Ukraine!

People’s Project Volunteer Center is deeply thankful to Novynarnia media outlet and personally to Mr. Dmytro Lykhoviy