Bohdan S. Storchak (Bodia)

Officer Bohdan Storchak (call sign Bodya) was killed on October 7, 2022, while performing a combat mission near the village of Davydiv Brid in the Kherson region. The warrior was 33 years old. Bohdan was born in the city of Novomyrhorod in the Kirovohrad region. He graduated from the Faculty of Physical Education at the Central Ukrainian State University named after Volodymyr Vynnychenko in Kropyvnytskyi. From 2017 to 2020, he served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine under contract and participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation / Joint Forces Operation. After completing his contract, he fought as part of the volunteer battalion "Frykor." In 2021, he joined the ranks of the All-Ukrainian Union "Svoboda" and served as the head of the Novomyrhorod branch of the party. During the full-scale war, Bohdan defended Ukraine in the ranks of his native 57th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade named after the Ataman Kostya Hordiienko. "Extremely freedom-loving, honest, and fair. A patriot of Ukraine, he promoted our language and urged those around him to switch to their native language. His words and motto: 'Without a native language, there is no nation, there is no people.' He participated in pouring the foundation of the Ukrainian church, which is still under construction," said his acquaintance Oksana Chumakova. "Our brother-in-arms Bohdan Storchak has fallen; he was a wonderful officer and a true patriot. Our paths crossed back in 2017 when our unit was formed. Until 2020, Bohdan hosted our unit at his positions, despite numerous prohibitions on interaction with volunteers. That year, after completing his contract, Bodya became a fighter in our unit and defended the village of Pisky in Donetsk region alongside us. He met the full-scale invasion while working at the military enlistment office but could not stay in the rear, so he transferred to the 57th Brigade, where he had been a commander many years before," wrote the Frykor unit. The defender was buried in his hometown. Bohdan is survived by his mother Olha, wife Kateryna, and daughter Daryna.