Illia V. Shelepnitskyi (Chykatylo)

Junior Sergeant Illia Shelepnitskyi (call sign Chikatilo) was killed on February 2, 2024, in the village of Pervomaiske in the Donetsk region. Together with his comrades-in-arms, he was returning from a combat mission when they were tracked down by an enemy drone. Illia was 26 years old. He was born in the village of Luzhany, Chernivtsi region. He graduated with honors from Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University and received a master's degree in "Telecommunications and Radio Engineering". He worked at a factory for some time. During the full-scale invasion, he served in the ranks of the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade named after Yakov Handziuk. He was a tank commander. He was awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree, as well as the badge "For Personal Bravery in Battle". "Illia was a very brave and courageous man, next to him I felt like behind a stone wall. He was always ready to help everyone, to give the last thing. He is a person with an interesting sense of humor, which is definitely remembered. He dreamed of a big family, children, and I am sure he would have been a wonderful father. Illia has forever taken a part of my heart, we all miss him very much... I love through time and space," wrote his fiancée Iryna Sobko. The warrior was buried in his native Bukovyna. Illia is survived by his parents, brother, fiancée, and other relatives.