Andrii M. Stepanets

Born on June 5, 1974, in the city of Sumy. In 1993, he graduated from secondary school No. 4 in Sumy. Since 1994, he served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He entered the Military Artillery Faculty of Sumy State University but left his studies in the third year. He graduated from the Sumy Machine-Building Technical School (now the Machine-Building College of Sumy State University) with a specialty in "Programming of numerically controlled machines," and then from Sumy State University. After completing his education, he worked at the Open Joint Stock Company "Sumy Scientific and Production Association named after Frunze," where he rose to the position of Deputy Head of the Non-Destructive Testing Department. He then worked as the Chief Metrologist and Head of the Metrology and Standardization Department at the State Enterprise "Factory of Weighted Drilling and Leading Pipes" (city of Sumy). On August 28, 2014, he was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 79th Separate Air Assault Brigade of the High Mobility Airborne Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (military unit A0224, city of Mykolaiv). From September 23, 2014, he participated in the anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine. On the night of November 23 to 24, 2014, during the defense of the Donetsk International Airport, the positions of Ukrainian troops near the village of Tonenke in the Yasynuvata district of Donetsk region were shelled by Russian-terrorist groups. During the artillery shelling, one of the shells (caliber 152 mm) hit the dugout where five servicemen were located, including soldier Stepanyets. The wounded soldier was evacuated to a field hospital in the city of Selidove, Donetsk region, where a team of doctors fought for his life for three hours. On November 24, 2014, without regaining consciousness, Andriy Stepanyets died from his injuries. On November 27, 2014, he was buried in the Alley of Honorable Citizens at the Central Cemetery of Sumy.