Hennadii I. Udovytskyi (Kipish)

49-year-old senior sergeant Hennadiy Udovytskyi (call sign Kipysh) was killed on September 13, 2022, while liberating Kherson region from the occupiers. He was caught under enemy artillery fire in the vicinity of the villages of Bruskynske and Ishchenka in the Beryslav district. The injuries were fatal. Hennadiy was born in the village of Onufriivka in Kirovohrad region. He completed 8 grades of school and enrolled in an agricultural college. He worked at the Kremenchuk Automobile Plant. Later, he got a job at the Onufriivka Stud Farm because he loved horses very much. Together with colleagues, he traveled abroad for equestrian competitions. He lived and worked with horses in the United Kingdom for a while. After returning to Ukraine, starting in 2008, he engaged in his own business, supplying the region with vegetables and fruits from Kherson and Melitopol. Before the invasion, he worked as a truck driver. From 2014 to 2017, he participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO). He went through many hotspots and was repeatedly awarded for his service. So, with the onset of the full-scale war, having combat experience, Hennadiy took up arms again and went to defend Ukraine. Initially, he was in the local Territorial Defense Forces. Since May 2022, he fought in the ranks of the 57th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, serving as a gunner of an armored vehicle. “Dad loved Ukraine and was its patriot! My dad was kind, sincere, brave, and courageous. He only thought of others. He always taught his comrades how and what not to do, took responsibility upon himself, found various ways to improve the conditions for his comrades and others, defended justice—even for a piece of butter, he could 'turn the headquarters upside down' if he saw that something was being hidden. And he did all this not for himself, but for others. He lost so many vacations and opportunities to be home for at least 2 nights. He tried to send all his comrades to their families, but sacrificed his own vacations. He is a great example of self-sacrifice for others. People like dad are rarely met in our time. A person with a capital letter. He gave everything to the last, without thinking of himself,” said Daria Hromova. The warrior was buried in his native village. At home, Hennadiy was awaited by his mother, wife, daughter, son from his first marriage, as well as other relatives and friends.