Maksym P. Prytula

Lieutenant Maksym Prytula was killed on October 5, 2023 in a battle with the occupiers near the village of Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk region. The officer was 22 years old. Maksym was born in the village of Pysarivka in the Vinnytsia region. From childhood, he dreamed of a military career. Therefore, after finishing 8 grades of a rural school, he entered the Lviv Lyceum with enhanced military and physical training. He then continued his studies at the Faculty of Training Specialists of Military Intelligence and Special Operations of the Odesa Military Academy.When the full-scale war began, the young man was in his 4th year of study. Having received his diploma ahead of schedule, on February 25, 2022, he joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and went to defend his country. The young officer held the position of platoon commander of the 79th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade. Together with the unit, he defended the Donetsk region. In April 2022, he was seriously wounded. He underwent three operations, went through rehabilitation and returned to the front line. "He loved Ukraine and firmly believed in victory! His life motto was 'With a shield or on a shield!' If you want to remember something bad, it won't work. An incredibly kind guy who will always come to help. We all love him very much," his friends said. The young paratrooper was buried in his native village. Maksym is survived by his parents, sister, relatives, friends and comrades-in-arms.