Andrii V. Petrenko (Khottabych)

Soldier Andriy Petrenko (call sign Khotabych) was killed on May 18, 2022, in a battle with the occupiers near the village of Volodymyrivka in Donetsk region. Exactly one month before this, the defender turned 48 years old. Andriy was born and lived in the city of Shostka in the Sumy region. He stu at schools No. 7 and 12. Later, he graduated from the Shostka Vocational Technical School and obtained a profession as an electrician. He was interested in history and loved to read. He adored animals and kept a dog, parrots, a chameleon, and spiders at home. He loved being in nature. Since 2020, he served under contract in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. During the full-scale Russian invasion, he fought in the ranks of the 13th Battalion of the 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade named after Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky. "For me, he was the most precious thing I had. He was a caring and loving son. He didn't wait for a summons from the military enlistment office. When the war started, on the very first day, he went to defend Ukraine. Now he has become my guardian angel," said the mother of the fallen, Valentyna Ivanivna. The defender was buried in his hometown. Andriy is survived by his parents.