Andrii M. Litun (Znavets)

The commander of the 128th Brigade's battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Andriy Litun (call sign Expert), was killed on March 6, 2022, in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The unit under Litun's command was repelling enemy attacks in that direction, destroying around 18 units of wheeled and around 20 units of armored vehicles, as well as enemy personnel. The battalion commander was killed while holding back the enemy's advance. The officer was posthumously awarded the title "Hero of Ukraine." "He was very young, never said he was afraid, always cheered us up and said that everything would be alright. He really wanted to live...," says the Hero's wife, Marina Litun. Andriy was born in the village of Vylok in Transcarpathia. As a teenager, he chose a military career. He graduated from the Mukachevo Lyceum with enhanced military-physical training and the Odesa Institute of Ground Forces (now the Military Academy). He served in the ranks of the 128th Mountain Assault Transcarpathian Brigade, rising from platoon commander to battalion commander. "He was obsessed with service," say his comrades-in-arms. For his professionalism, intelligence, and knowledge of the subtleties of military service, as well as his desire for constant self-improvement, Andriy Litun earned the respectful nickname "Expert" among his fellow officers. It later became his call sign when a real military threat arose before Ukraine. From the beginning of spring 2014, Andriy Litun began defending the Motherland, participating in the ATO and JFO in eastern Ukraine. His combat biography includes such hotspots of Donetsk and Luhansk regions as Shchastia, Stanytsia Luhanska, Debaltseve, Krasnohorivka, and Pisky. During the defense of Debaltseve in January-February 2015, the Transcarpathian unit under Major Litun's command heroically held the defense for a long time, and then the commander managed to withdraw his subordinates from the bridgehead, avoiding encirclement and significant losses. During this time, the officer sustained a serious injury but returned to duty after a short period of treatment. Andriy is survived by his wife and two children. The hero was buried in Mukachevo, Transcarpathia. A central street in the city was also renamed in his honor.