Oleksandr V. Radiievskyi (Mauzer)

Oleksandr Vitaliyovych Radiyevskyi was born on May 9, 1970, in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region. He lost his parents early and was raised by his grandmother and grandfather. The future officer demonstrated leadership qualities during his studies at Kryvyi Rih Secondary School No. 104. In 1991, he graduated from the Vladikavkaz Higher Military Command School of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR. As a cadet, he had to participate in the cessation of interethnic conflicts in the hot spots of the former USSR — the Caucasus and Central Asia. He confidently climbed the ranks of his officer career, from 1991 to 1998, progressing from the commander of a patrol platoon to the chief of staff — deputy commander of the patrol battalion of the Simferopol Separate Brigade of Internal Troops and Convoy Protection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. After graduating in 1998 from the 1st Faculty (Master's program) of the Academy of Border Troops of Ukraine, Oleksandr Vitaliyovych served in the Dnipropetrovsk Special Motorized Police Regiment of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, rising from battalion commander to unit commander, and since August 2011, he has headed the Kryvyi Rih Separate Special Motorized Brigade of the Police of the Central Territorial Command of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In October 1999, he was awarded the "Defender of the Fatherland" medal, in November 2004 — the "For Military Service to Ukraine" medal, and in March 2009 — the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi of the III degree. A man of duty and honor, a brave and professional commander, always friendly and attentive to his interlocutors, this is how Oleksandr Vitaliyovych is remembered by his colleagues. He was a demanding commander but very attentive to the urgent problems of his subordinates, showing special care for conscript soldiers. His favorite saying was, "A soldier should not be pitied, but protected!" The conclusion of his last assessment stated: "He corresponds to the occupied position, it is advisable to enroll him in the reserve for promotion to the position of first deputy head of the territorial command — chief of staff." Colonel Radiyevskyi had considerable authority among his subordinates, primarily because he led them into battle, personally heading special operations to neutralize terrorist checkpoints on the approaches to the settlements of Mykolaivka, Semenivka, and Sloviansk. In the area of the anti-terrorist operation, he spent a total of 2.5 months at the head of the unit (which was transformed in the spring of 2014 into a separate public order protection brigade of the Central Operational Territorial Association of the National Guard of Ukraine). After the personnel rotation, he soon returned to the combat zone, where his eldest son — the commander of a company of another military unit of the National Guard, Lieutenant Andrii Radiyevskyi — was also sent… On July 15, 2014, by the decree of the President for personal courage and selflessness, Colonel Oleksandr Radiyevskyi was awarded the Order "For Courage" III degree. A day before his death, Oleksandr Vitaliyovych felt perhaps the highest happiness of a professional soldier: a large crowd of local residents with Ukrainian flags gathered in the central square of the recently liberated Sievierodonetsk. And when the tired but happy Colonel Radiyevskyi announced that the city was free from terrorists, he was given a real ovation. People greeted the liberators, hugged and kissed them, thanked them, treated them to sweets, and invited them to their homes. However, new battles awaited Colonel Radiyevskyi, and he did not dwell much on the laurels of a triumphant… On July 23, 2014, Colonel Radiyevskyi heroically died during the battle for the liberation of Lysychansk when he and his soldiers fell into an ambush on a bridge. Within a day, under the oppressive impression of the news of Oleksandr Vitaliyovych's death, activists from Sievierodonetsk initiated the renaming of the then Soviet Square of the city in honor of Colonel Radiyevskyi. By the decree of the President of Ukraine No. 617/2014 dated July 25, 2014, Colonel Radiyevskyi was posthumously awarded the military rank of Major General.