Ihor I. Kot (Kit)

Major Ihor Kot (call sign Cat), 42 years old, was killed on May 11, 2022, during the liberation of Kharkiv region. As part of his unit, along with the special forces "Kraken" and "Dozor," he drove the enemy out of the settlement of Pytomnyk. He was advancing to secure firing positions near the settlement of Neve when he detonated a concealed explosive device. Ihor was born in the village of Zhukin in Kyiv Oblast. He lived in the capital. In 2001, he graduated from the Faculty of Internal Troops of the Kyiv Institute of Internal Affairs. Since 2014, he served as the commander of a company at one of the specialized military training centers. During the full-scale Russian invasion, Ihor fought for his homeland as part of the consolidated tactical group "Adam" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in a separate anti-tank unit. "My friend, comrade, commander has died... Kot Ihor Ivanovych, whom I have known for many years. From the first days, he went to defend us and the state. He fought the enemy at the Vasylkiv airfield, then in Bucha, Irpin, Donetsk region; death caught up with him in Kharkiv region... He was the best commander, a loyal friend, and a cheerful and brave person. He laughed in the face of death and always supported the entire unit. Today our major is no more. He died defending Ukraine," wrote his comrade Oleksiy. "A person who never closed the door behind him when leaving a room. A person whom I sometimes clashed with. But as soon as I saw him, all grievances vanished instantly. Ihor, we trusted you, we respected you, we loved you. We knew you were always with us, that you were the commander who would never abandon his subordinates. Once, we rushed out on alert, forgetting to call you from the toilet. That day you left and said that when you returned, the two of us would need to go find something. You never returned," wrote his comrade Andriy. The officer was buried in his native village. Ihor is survived by his parents, wife, and son. Major Ihor Kot was posthumously awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi of the III degree. A memorial plaque was installed on the walls of Zhukin Lyceum in honor of the fallen soldier.