Ruslan V. Usik (Zlyi)

Ruslan Usyk, born on February 23, 1969, in the city of Stryi, Lviv region, completed his education at Stryi's specialized school No. 4 for grades I-III. From 1984 to 1987, he attended VPU No. 34 in Stryi, where he obtained the profession of "Automobile Crane Operator." He was a participant in the Revolution of Dignity and was present on the Maidan in 2013-2014. He joined the ranks of DUK "Right Sector" in Lviv, completed his training there, and in 2015, as part of the 8th Battalion "Aratta" of DUK "Right Sector," he was deployed to the ATO zone in eastern Ukraine. As part of the "Aratta" battalion, he took part in battles for the villages of Shyrokyne and Sartana. In recent years, he resided in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, where he was an active member of the local community. He married a local Kramatorsk resident, Olena, who worked as an English teacher. At the beginning of 2018, Ruslan transitioned to the 24th Mechanized Brigade named after King Daniel. He sustained injuries in battles with Russian occupiers, resulting in his disability. At the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ruslan reported to the Stryi TCK and SP per a mobilization order. In March 2022, he and his wife joined the Special Purpose Battalion of the NGU "Donbas" of the 15th Separate Regiment. He held the position of sniper platoon commander. He was killed on April 6, 2022, during an artillery barrage near the city of Popasna in Luhansk region.