Andrii R. Plytus

Lieutenant Andriy Plytus (call sign Lemish) died on May 6, 2024, in the Serebryanske forestry, near the village of Dibrova in the Luhansk region. The warrior was 31 years old. Andriy was born in the village of Pniv, Ivano-Frankivsk region. He graduated from Nadvirna School No. 1. Later, he attended the Ivano-Frankivsk Higher Vocational School of Service and Equipment and the National University "Lviv Polytechnic" in the field of "Systems Engineering". In 2015, he joined the Azov Regiment. He was a signaler, and later he transferred to a mortar unit. He participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) / Joint Forces Operation (JFO). He defended Shyrokyne, Chermalyk, Hranitne, and fought on the Svitlodarsk Bulge. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he has been defending Mariupol. He served in the 2nd Special Forces Battalion. He was the deputy commander of the battery for personnel work. Andriy was awarded the OOS medals "For Valor and Loyalty," "For Participation in the Anti-Terrorist Operation," "For Merit to Nadvirna Region," the Order of Courage of the III degree, and posthumously the Order of Courage of the II degree. The full-scale invasion caught his son in the Lviv region, where he was taking advanced training and leadership courses. When the attacks began, he returned to his unit with his comrades-in-arms. They defended the city and the Azovstal plant. Then there was captivity, the Olenivka terrorist attack, a year of torture, uncertainty, and despair. On May 6, 2023, a prisoner exchange took place. Andriy lost 30 kilograms and was very exhausted. During rehabilitation, he said he would recover and return to the front. Many told him not to go, but he replied, "No, my war is not over yet," his mother Anna Plytus said. Andriy defended Ozerne, Yampil, and the Serebryanske forestry. "Then the enemy constantly attacked to break through to Lyman. His position did not involve his presence on the battlefield, but in difficult moments, he helped the guys, shared his experience, and taught. That day, he was going on a mission with his comrades-in-arms. Artillery shelling began. They jumped out of the car and ran into a dugout to the guys from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They were hit by KABs. Andriy died exactly a year after being released from captivity," Anna said. "My son did not plan to be a military before the war. But from his grandfather-great-grandfather, he inherited patriotism, a keen sense of justice, and a love of freedom. That's why he didn't stay away from the Maidan. He joined the self-defense. And then he voluntarily joined the Azov Regiment. Initially, he had the call sign Raven, later - Lemish. In life, he had a good nature and a sense of humor. He was cheerful, friendly, easy-going, and had many friends. He replaced the father for his three nephews. We all miss him very much," the mother added. "He always smiled and lifted the mood of everyone around him. He showed many the Carpathian mountains, fell in love with them, and loved them very much himself. In his free time, he tried to get out into nature. He loved animals very much, and he probably sent photos of the animals that lived with him on duty more often than his own. He was an incredible person, and next to him, you believe in miracles. We met after the captivity, and if I didn't know, I would never have guessed that he had experienced those tortures. He was strong, and despite everything, he preserved sensitivity, love, positivity, and dreams... He had very good relationships with his comrades-in-arms, they became not only friends but also a second family, and I often hear from them that he is missed. He dreamed of seeing the northern lights, but he never thought he would see them in Ukraine, and he said it was magical. Andriy loved this world very much and was fascinated by it, saw what others didn't see, loved to take photos, and the photos were incredible, like a completely different world. Perhaps over time, more photos he took will be published, and everyone will also see that the world through his eyes is beautiful," the defender's girlfriend shared her memories. Andriy was buried in his native village. He left behind his parents, two sisters, and three nephews. A memorial plaque was installed at the school where he studied in honor of Andriy Plytus.