Hennadii L. Kovshyk

59-year-old Captain Hennadii Kovshyk was killed on February 12, 2023, while performing his duties in the Donetsk region. While helping the wounded in the hospital, he himself received fatal injuries during a Russian missile attack in the Druzhkivka area. Hennadii was a native of Kharkiv. He was a well-known activist in his hometown, never remaining indifferent to major events in Ukraine. He was a civil aviation pilot, trained at the Kirovohrad Higher Flight School of Civil Aviation. In civilian life, after retirement, he was a private entrepreneur. He actively participated in the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity. He was passionate about Ukrainian culture, loved to travel around Ukraine, ride a bicycle, and practice yoga. He deeply loved his family and was constantly searching for information about his ancestors. From 2015 to 2021, the man participated in the ATO/JFO in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. He fought as part of the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After completing his last contract, the man returned home, but not for long. With the start of the full-scale invasion, Hennadii went back to where the fighting was the fiercest. He joined a unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, holding the position of deputy commander for moral and psychological support in the hospital. Initially, he performed his duties in the Kharkiv region, and then in the Donetsk region. "He was not only a hero in the war, but also an incredibly strong and kind person. He always helped, was there for others, loved his family, his country, and people," said his goddaughter and niece, Tetiana Rieznikova. Hennadii was buried in the Alley of Glory of cemetery No. 18 in his native Kharkiv. The defender left behind a wife, son, daughter, granddaughter, other relatives, friends, and comrades-in-arms. The officer was posthumously awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, 3rd degree.