Mykhailo M. Kozak

Defender Mykhailo Kozak died on August 14, 2022 in the village of Berestove, Donetsk region. During the performance of a combat mission, he came under artillery fire. The warrior was 39 years old. Mykhailo was born in the village of Zhukov, Ivano-Frankivsk region. He spent his childhood and youth in the city of Kolomyia. He studied at school No. 5 there. He was a diligent student, had exemplary behavior, and a talent for drawing. He loved to play football and participated in sports competitions. After the 9th grade, he entered the Industrial and Pedagogical Technical School, where he obtained the specialty of a mason of installation and reinforced concrete structures. He also studied at Vocational School No. 17, where he obtained the profession of car mechanic. In 2000, he was drafted into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the city of Shostka, Sumy region. He had a good reputation and received awards from the command. After serving in the army, he worked as a security guard at the Kolomyia District Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Later, he decided to return to his professional activity and became the foreman of a construction crew at Mistobus LLC. He was a professional in his field. He built more than 10 multi-story buildings in Kolomyia. Since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2014, Mykhailo was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 80th Airborne Assault Brigade. He held the position of line supervisor and signaler. He carried out combat missions in the hottest spots of the Luhansk region. After a long stay in Sector "A", he began to fall ill. He was treated in various hospitals. He was supposed to be registered for a disability pension, but he refused the group and benefits. After the ATO, he worked in construction in Kolomyia. At the beginning of 2022, he went to work at an automobile factory in the Czech Republic. Hearing about the full-scale invasion, he returned to Ukraine. On March 8, 2022, he was accepted into the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade. He held the position of mechanic-radio operator, and was the commander of the communication platoon of the motorized infantry battalion. He went through heavy battles in the Kyiv region, fought in the Donetsk region, defended Sievierodonetsk, Lysychansk, Soledar and Bakhmut. His comrades-in-arms say that he was a true warrior, a good, sincere, courageous person, an example of invincibility and strength of spirit. He never doubted our victory. At the positions, Mykhailo always arrived first to ensure communication between the groups. If the connection was lost, risking his life, he ran from position to position under fire to eliminate the malfunction. The warrior was buried in the village of Turka, Ivano-Frankivsk region. Posthumously, the defender was awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree.