Pavlo P. Babych

Military pilot Pavlo Babych was killed on August 21, 2022 during a combat flight in the area of the village of Lishchyn in the Zhytomyr region. He was forever 36 years old. Pavlo was born in the city of Berdychiv, Zhytomyr region, in a military family. After school, he studied at the Chernihiv Military Lyceum with enhanced military and physical training. Then he graduated from the Ivan Kozhedub Kharkiv National Air Force University. He loved nature, recreation near the water, and fishing. He learned to make leather products, belts and wallets, and dreamed of retiring and starting his own business. After graduation, the officer served in the military aviation. For the last 5 years, he served in the 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 2021, he graduated from the National University of Defense of Ukraine. At the time of the full-scale war, he held the position of commander of a combat squadron. From February 24, 2022, he defended the sky over Ukraine from the Russian invaders. "Pavlo was the best man and son in the world. He chose his profession from childhood. As long as he served, he dreamed of changing the army for the better," said his wife Nina. The hero was buried in the village of Skomorokhy in the Zhytomyr region. Pavlo is survived by his parents, wife and daughter, who was born after the death of her father. The officer was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree and the Combat Cross medal. He was also promoted to the rank of colonel.