Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to claim lives. At least 52 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since July 10, bringing the death toll to at least 270 Ukrainian servicemen, according to official figures, while the Kyiv Post count is 275 soldiers.
One of the heaviest losses came overnight on July 11 in Luhansk Oblast’s Zelenopillia, where Russia-backed insurgents opened fire with a Grad multiple rocket launcher, killing 19 victims from Ukraine’s 24th and 79th brigades and wounding another 93 men.
Kostiantyn Poliakov, who serves in the second battalion of the 79th brigade, barely survived. “Now I have two birthdays. My birthday, which is Oct. 24, and the second, which is July 12, when I survived the attack,” he wrote on his Facebook page after the fight.
The following is the list of the victims known to be killed July 10-16:
July 10
Viktor Savanchuk, 21, soldier from Vinnytsia Oblast. He was deployed to the front from Khmelnytskiy Oblast where he was serving. Savanchuk leaves his parents and a brother.
Leonid Shyrpal, 32, border guard from Khmelnytskiy Oblast. He was killed in Luhansk Oblast days before his 33rd birthday. “He never hesitated to help, he was a real man,” his comrade, Denys Tsyskun, was quoted as saying. Shyrpal leaves a wife and a daughter.
Oleksandr Yakubenko, 39, from Skyra, Kyiv Oblast. He was killed by insurgents as he tried to free Donetsk airport.
July 11
Petro Vasylykha, 22, a soldier from Drohomyshl, Lviv Oblast. “When Petro left for the east he promised that we’ll rock at his wedding. He was kind as an angel. And he loved Ukraine so much,” a friend of Vasylykha’s family was quoted as saying. He was killed near near Zelenopillia in Luhansk Oblast. He leaves his parents and two brothers.
Vilgelm Shtoltsel, 22, border guard from Mukachevo in Zakarpattia Oblast. “You shouldn’t be afraid of death; you should be afraid of a wasteful life,” reads the last note he posted to his timeline on vKontakte page. He was the only son in his family.
Ihor Borys, 31, solider from Drohobych in Lviv Oblast. Borys, a professional weightlifter, was mobilized to the army and killed in Zelenopillia on July 11. He leaves a wife and a newborn son in his native city.
Andriy Leskiv, 44, soldier from Yavoriv, Lviv Oblast. He leaves a wife and three children.
Sergiy Prots, 20, from Darnutske village in Volyn Oblast. He served in the 24th Mechanized Zalizna brigade in Lviv Oblast.
Ivan Holota, soldier fron Pushkove village, Kirovohrad Oblast. Holota leaves a wife and 4-year old daughter.
Vasyl Kovalyk, 23, soldier from Volyn Oblast. Kovalyk was serving for 24th mechanized brigade. He was killed in Zelenopillia on July 11.
Vasyl Vovk, 23, soldier from Koblo village in Lviv Oblast.
Marian Dyshlo, 44, soldier from Stebnyk in Lviv Oblast.
Mykhailo Plushch, 27, soldier from Kirovohrad Oblast. He served in 79th armored brigade.
Yuriy Holub, soldier from Lviv. Holub served in 24th mechanized brigade in Lviv.
Volodymyr Verbytsky, soldier from Lviv. He was killed in Zelenopillia on July 11.
Taras Mysyk, soldier from Novoyarivsk, Lviv Oblast. Mysyk was killed in Zelenopillia on July 11.
Mykhailo Lohin, soldier from Koty, Lviv Oblast. Lohin was killed in Zelenopillia on July 11.
Oleh Hlushchak, 31, border guard officer was killed near Dovzhansky checkpoint in Luhansk Oblast on July 11. He leaves a wife and 4-year old son.
Oleksandr Tkachenko, 44, the former Berkut riot police officer from Sumy volunteered to the army. His comrades say he was a fair and attentive commander who shared his food with the residents of the towns held by separatists. Tkachenko once saved 150 hostages in Mykolaivka town in Donetsk Oblast. “He was always first. And he was first who died as his car tripped a mine left by separatists. However, he saved the lives of 30 comrades who drove behind him,” local police spokeswoman Elvira Bihanova said.
Ihor Momot, 48, border guard. Momot’s comrades used to call him a legend. “Every night I spoke to this outstanding man, we discussed a situation on Ukraine’s border. I’ve never seen someone more courageous than him,” Ukrainian ex-Defense Minister Mykhailo Koval said. The victim led a group patrolling Ukraine’s border with Russia. Momot was killed overnight July 11 as terrorists opened fire from a Grad multiple rocket launcher. He leaves a wife and 15-year-old daughter.
Anatoliy Lutsko, 28, senior sergeant from Bobrynets, Kirovohrad Oblast. He was killed in Luhansk Oblast on July 11.
Dmytro Syrbu, 20, border guard from Sarata village in Odesa Oblast. He enrolled in the military in April. Syrbu was killed during an overnight attack by insurgents in Luhansk Oblast. He leaves his parents in his native village.
Vasyl Poliakov, 23, a border guard from Odesa Oblast. Poliakov was killed on July 11 near Dovzhansky checkpoint in Luhansk Oblast as terrorists opened fire with a Grad multiple rocket launcher.
Dmytro Kuzmin, 40, Ukraine’s National Guard solider. Kuzmin’s friends recalled painting and photography were among his hobbies. He was an active EuroMaidan Revolution supporter and then joined the Donbas Battalion. “He left lots of the pictures from the front and that’s all we have now. All the soldiers grieve for him,” Semen Semenchenko, Donbas Battalion commander, wrote on his Facebook page. Kuzmin leaves a wife and two sons in Kyiv.
Vitaliy Mykhailov, 32, gunner from Kozyn village, Kyiv Oblast. He was killed after triggering an explosive device on a route for military vehicles, in the village Krasnopartizansk in Luhansk Oblast.
Anatoliy Savchenko, 21, soldier from Pirnove village, Kyiv Oblast. He served in 72nd mechanized brigade in Bila Tserkva.
Oleksandr Kostyuchenko, from Demydiv in Kyiv Oblast, was a senior sergeant of the 72nd mechanized brigade of Bila Tserkva.
Vasyl Yaroslavtsev, 32, soldier from Dnipropetrovsk. Yaroslavtsev served in 93rd brigade. He died rescuing his comrade.
July 12
Ihor Petriv, 46, border guard. His vehicle struck a mine near Marynivka village in Donetsk Oblast while he was transporting the body of his fallen comrade Ihor Momot to his native Cherkasy Oblast. “Ihor never complained and was very modest. I’ll always remember his smile,” his friend Valeriy Makeev wrote on his Facebook page. Petriv leaves a wife and a daughter.
Dmytro Volkov, 22, soldier from Prechystivka, Donetsk Oblast, was in the 72nd mechanized brigade of Bila Tserkva.
Vladyslav Belorus, 21, solider from Lubny, Poltava Oblast, was a in the 72nd mechanized brigade of Bila Tserkva.
Mykola Kalashnyk, 25, from Cherkasy, a senior soldier, was a gunner with the 72th mechanized brigade.
Andriy Moruhiy, 40, a lieutenant from Branytsia, Chernihiv Oblast.
Artem Netrunenko, 25, member of Aydar Battalion. Netrunenko was a history major who joined the battalion in May. His friend, Nataliya Pshenianik, recalled he was a local EuroMaidan Revolution supporter who did not fear death. He was killed in the Luhansk suburbs in a shootout with insurgents. Netrunenko leaves his parents in Luhansk.
Pavlo Dyyak, 44, a soldier from Grechany, Khmelnytskiy Oblast, died from a blast mine explosion. “The eldest daughter really expected father for her prom night. Pavlo went to the border in March. His family was waiting for him back home every day. So he came back. In a coffin,” a friend said.
Valeriy Vashchenko, 22, soldier from Zhytomyr Oblast. He was killed in fight with insurgents near Luhansk. Vashchenko leaves his parents and two brothers in his native Horodyshche village.
Yuriy Oliferchuk, 22, soldier from Zhytomyr Oblast. Oliferchuk used to work as in Kyiv as a builder, but then joined the army in early March. He leaves his parents, sister and two brothers.
July 13
Serhiy Muravskiy, 20, a soldier from Vinnytsia. Muravskiy was killed in clashes with separatists while unblocking Luhansk airport on July 13. He left his mother in his native Khmilnyk in Vinnytsia Oblast.
July 14
Yuriy Trokhymchuk, 25, a soldier from Zalazziy village in Volyn Oblast. He died in a battle near Krasnodon in Luhansk Oblast.
Andriy Shudraviy, 24, soldier from Yaremche, Ivano Frankivsk Oblast. Shudraviy was deployed to the country’s east in early May. His armored personnel carrier struck a mine. He leaves wife and 3-year old child.
Oleksandr Nekhai, 38, soldier from Sukholisy village, Kyiv oblast. He leaves a family in Bila Tserkva.
Yuriy Bilobrov, 28, Kyiv Oblast, company commander of 128 Uzhgorod brigade, died in battle near Luhansk.
July 15
Ihor Kantor, soldier from Volyn Oblast. His compatriot, Valeriy Kurstak, said the village raised money to buy a bulletproof vest for the soldier, but he never received it. Kantor died in a battle near Amvrosiivka village in Donetsk Oblast.
Maksym Benderov, 24, from Aleksandria, Kirovohrad Oblast. He died near Izvaryne, Luhansk Oblast. He leaves his parents and a brother.
Stanislav Moiseev, a soldier from Kirovohrad Oblast. He died in battle near Izvaryne village in Luhansk Oblast.
Dmytro Riabiy, gunner from Kirovohrad Oblast. He died in battle near Izvaryne village in Luhansk Oblast.
Maksym Verboviy, gunner from Kirovohrad Oblast. He died in battle near Izvaryne village in Luhansk Oblast.
Mykola Olekseev, deputy commander of the intelligence group from Kirovohrad Oblast. Olekseev died in battle near Izvaryne village in Luhansk Oblast.
Bohdan Karavaiskiy, commander of special task force from Kirovohrad Oblast. Karaviaskiy died in battle near Izvaryne village in Luhansk Oblast.
Yuriy Kovalenko, deputy commander of 3rd special task force unit of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry from Kirovohrad. He died in battle near Izvaryne village in Luhansk Oblast.
Ivan Markov, spy-gunner of special task force.
July 16
Bohdan Zavada, 35, Ukraine’s National Guard lieutenant from Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Zavada was killed in a shootout near Marynivka village in Donetsk Obalst. He leaves a wife and 12-year-old son.
Kyiv Post staff writer Olena Goncharova can be reached at [email protected]. Kyiv Post staff writer Iryna Yeroshko can be reached at [email protected]
