Ruslan V. Stepula

Senior soldier Ruslan Stepula was killed on July 29, 2023 in the area of the village of Kuzmyne in the Luhansk region. During the performance of a combat mission, he received fatal injuries as a result of enemy mortar shelling. On September 10, the warrior would have turned 24 years old. Ruslan was born in the village of Stinka, Ternopil region. In 2002, when he was 3 years old, he moved with his family to the village of Burivka, Chernihiv region. Later, he enrolled in the Chernihiv Medical College, but studied for only a year and went on conscript military service. He decided to stay in the army and signed a contract with the National Guard of Ukraine. With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ruslan, as part of the Chernihiv unit of the National Guard, stood up to defend the city of Chernihiv. Later, as part of military unit 3035, he went to defend the eastern direction. He was a rifleman, radio operator and driver. His comrades-in-arms remember Ruslan as a reliable and courageous warrior, with whom it was not scary to go into battle. The National Guard soldier was buried in the village of Burivka, Chernihiv region. Ruslan is survived by his parents and brother. For his service, the young warrior was awarded the medal "For the Defense of Chernihiv" and the Order of Courage of the III degree (posthumously). A memorial plaque to the fallen hero was opened on the facade of the school where he studied.