Illia M. Zavalnyi

Paratrooper Illia Zavalny was killed on May 19, 2023, on his 27th birthday, while defending the city of Kreminna in Luhansk region from the occupiers. The defender sustained a fatal explosive injury in combat with the enemy. Illia was born in the village of Rubanka, Vinnytsia region. He studied at the Florianivska school. He then enrolled at the Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs. From 2018, he worked as an investigator at the Main Directorate of the National Police in Khmilnyk, Vinnytsia region, and from 2021 in Kozeiatyn. He held the rank of police lieutenant. In his free time, he loved football, fishing, sports, and relaxing with his family and friends. During the full-scale war, in December 2022, the man joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 95th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade, holding the position of driver-electrician of a self-propelled artillery platoon. "Our Illiushka was kind, honest, fair, responsible, and caring. He was the best son and brother. He had a good sense of humor," said the deceased's older sister Nina. "Relatives, friends, and everyone who knew him will remember Illia as a fair, kind, brave, and cheerful person. A person with a sense of humor, a person who united friends and colleagues around him. A person with an active life position. Ukraine has lost another worthy son," added the Kozeiatyn City Council. The warrior was buried in the Alley of Glory cemetery in Kozeiatyn, Vinnytsia region. At home, Illia was awaited by his mother, two sisters, and other relatives and friends.