Roman V. Yatsun (Yar)

Sergeant Roman Yatsun (call sign Yar) was killed on April 19, 2023, on his 50th birthday, while carrying out a combat mission near the village of Novokalinove in the Donetsk region. Roman was born in Berdyansk, Zaporizhia region. He graduated from the Kharkiv National Aerospace University, where he obtained a degree in computer systems and networks engineering. He lived in Kyiv and held the position of head of the technical department group at the Central Design Institute of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. He always had a strong drive to move forward - he practiced fencing, played the guitar beautifully, and had a talent for drawing. Since 2014, he has been involved in volunteer activities. He was interested in expanding the boundaries of his creative and physical abilities by engaging in Eastern spiritual practices. On February 27, 2022, he was drafted into the ranks of the National Guard of Ukraine. He served in the 2nd separate Galician brigade. He was the commander of the communications section of the mortar battery command of a separate assault company. "Roman went to war, knowing that if not today, then tomorrow he would replace those who had been in the hell of battle from the first hours. 'A nation exists as long as there are people capable of defending it' - this was a slogan on his social media page. But it was not just a slogan, it was his essence - to be a part of a nation that must stand firm against such a treacherous enemy as Russia, and it will certainly stand firm! But he knew it would not be easy, and he repeated Churchill's words: 'I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.' All this time, he was the core for all of us (and remained so until the end of his days), as my mother aptly described," his sister Svitlana said. The National Guard soldier was buried at the Berkovetske Cemetery in Kyiv. Roman is survived by his mother, wife, daughter, relatives, friends, and comrades-in-arms. Posthumously, the military man was awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree.