Ivan V. Rybachuk (Vano)

Junior Sergeant Ivan Ryabchuk (call sign Vano) was killed on June 11, 2022, near the village of Chervone in the Kharkiv region. While carrying out a combat mission, he and three comrades were blown up by an enemy anti-tank mine. No one survived. In July, Ivan would have turned 36 years old. Ivan was born in the village of Vylkhivets in the Cherkasy region. He graduated from the local school after completing 11 grades. He then obtained a welding qualification at a vocational school in Kyiv. He lived in the capital and worked in his specialty. He loved his job, made unconventional decisions, and was able to explain them to management. He was interested in diving and adored fishing. From 2014 to 2015, he participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Donbas. From the first days of the full-scale war, Ivan was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He fought as part of the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Konstantin Ostrozhsky. He was a squad commander — the commander of the reconnaissance vehicle of the reconnaissance platoon. “Vanya was an honest, kind, and sincere person. Calm and balanced, responsible and morally resilient, loving and cheerful. He could quickly make the right decisions. He loved children and was always chasing after them: 'Let's play football.' He loved his daughter immensely and tried to help everyone. He had many plans for the future. He always said with a smile: 'Everything will be fine.' Only sorrow, tears, and burning pain are left,” said the wife of the fallen soldier, Yulia. The warrior was buried in his native village. Ivan is survived by his mother, sister, nephews, wife, and daughter.