Andrii D. Hriadiushko (Dushman)

Lieutenant Andrii Hryadyushko (call sign Dushman) was killed on October 17, 2022, in a battle with Russian occupiers near the village of Yakovlivka in the Donetsk region. The defender was only 22 years old. Andrii was born in the village of Khmelove in the Kirovohrad region. He was a master's student at the Kirovohrad Flight Academy of the National Aviation University, studying in the Aviation Management faculty under the educational and professional program "Emergency Services and Safety in Aviation Transport." With the onset of the full-scale war, the young man did not hesitate to defend his country. He joined the ranks of the 4th Separate Tank Brigade named after Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky, serving as the commander of a mechanized platoon. He defended Donetsk region: Novopil, Avdiivka, Maryinka, Sukha Balka, Pisky, and Yakovlivka. He was awarded the medal "For the Defense of Avdiivka." "Despite his young age, he led the platoon and bravely defended our Motherland in the hottest spots for 7 months of the war. Even in the depths of hell, the young lieutenant joked and supported his instructors, hoping for a swift victory, obtaining his master's diploma, and a happy future in an independent Ukraine. Always smiling, kind, honest, goal-oriented, reliable, hardworking, sociable, courageous, ready to defend his country and each of us… Andrii was respected and loved by both his classmates and instructors," the Kirovohrad Flight Academy wrote on their website. "I am proud of my nephew for his courage, honesty, and decency. Ukraine was everything to him. Andrii remained true to his comrades, his people, and his Motherland until his last breath. He was a reliable support for his family and friends," noted the deceased's aunt, Oksana Zherdiy. The officer was buried in his native village. Andrii is survived by his parents, a younger brother, and relatives.