Ihor O. Shpak (Ptakh)

Ihor Olegovych Shpak was born on May 2, 1990, in the city of Kherson into a family of workers. In 1997, he entered the 1st grade of general education school No. 8, and in 2000, he was transferred to general education school No. 1 in Kherson. From a young age, he was passionate about hunting and sports — boxing and kickboxing, winning the title of regional champion, being a prizewinner of the Ukrainian championship, and obtaining the title of candidate for master of sports in kickboxing. In 2005, he entered the Kharkiv State Higher School of Physical Culture (boxing department), graduating in 2007. In 2011, he graduated from the Academy of Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, receiving the military rank of lieutenant and taking the position of platoon commander of a separate brigade of internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine for the protection of diplomatic missions and consular institutions of foreign states in Ukraine (Kyiv). On November 25, 2011, he was appointed deputy commander of the company. In August 2012, Ihor took the position of commander of the combat group of a separate special purpose unit of the separate special purpose brigade "Bars" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (military unit 3027, from March 2014 — the 1st operational brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine), on July 10, 2013, he was appointed commander of the combat group of a separate special purpose and anti-terrorism unit "Omega" of the same formation, and on June 18, 2013, he was awarded the military rank of "Senior Lieutenant." From April 8, 2014, he participated in combat operations in the area of the anti-terrorist operation in Eastern Ukraine (on February 26, 2015, he received a certificate of a combatant). By the decree of the President of Ukraine No. 599/2014 dated July 19, 2014, "for diligence, reasonable initiative, and conscientious performance of official duties during the ATO," he was awarded the Order of "For Courage" of the III degree. On September 26, 2014, Ihor was transferred to the position of deputy commander of the unit — commander of the reconnaissance group of the special purpose separate reconnaissance unit of the Eastern Territorial Administration of the National Guard of Ukraine (Kharkiv), and on March 11, 2015, as a reward, he was awarded the military rank of "Captain" (ahead of schedule). On March 22, 2015, he received fatal injuries while performing a combat mission in the area of the ATO.