Mykhailo M. Klodnitskyi (Klod)

Junior Sergeant Mykhailo Klodnytskyi (call sign Klod) was killed on October 27, 2023 near the village of Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region. When the enemy carried out a drone attack, the soldier shielded his comrades. A month earlier, on September 30, he turned 33 years old. Mykhailo was born in Ivano-Frankivsk, but grew up in the village of Khotymyr. When he turned 16, he returned to his hometown. He graduated from the Ivano-Frankivsk Higher Vocational School of Service, where he obtained the profession of an electromechanic. He served his conscription in the air defense in Lviv. In his professional life, he changed several professions and visited many countries. He trained as a rescue diver, which became his main job. Before the invasion, he worked at the city rescue station. In his free time, he was passionate about fishing, cycling, hiking, and reading books. During the full-scale war, the man became a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 78th Separate Airborne Assault Regiment "Hertz". He held the position of commander of the reconnaissance platoon. During his service, Mykhailo received the honorary badge of the 102nd Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine "Cross of the Scout", the medals "Veteran of War" and "Participant in Combat Operations", and posthumously he was awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree, the distinction "For Honor and Valor", and the medal "For Valor". "My husband was an extraordinarily kind and sincere person. Smart, brave, fair, he never refused to help anyone, always tried to think positively. For me and our son, he was a loving and caring husband and father, our support and backbone, our whole world. I am proud of my husband-hero, because he fulfilled one of the most important commandments of God - he gave his life for his neighbors, for us. Having many more plans and unfulfilled dreams, he unhesitatingly left me and our son and went to defend Ukraine, because he dreamed of a peaceful future for his family and his long-suffering people," Tetiana Klodnytska said. The warrior was buried in the Alley of Glory of the cemetery in the village of Chukalivka in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. Mykhailo is survived by his wife Tetiana, son Yarema, father Mykhailo, mother Alla, and brother Nazar with his family. Posthumously, the defender was awarded the title of "Honorary Citizen of the City of Ivano-Frankivsk".