Vadym V. Lepekha (Kadet)

Captain Vadim Lepeha (call sign Cadet) was killed on October 6, 2022, in a battle with the occupiers near the village of Davydiv Brid in the Kherson region. The officer was only 26 years old. Vadim was born in the village of Irkliiv in the Cherkasy region. He stu at the local school. He then obtained a profession as a cook and pastry chef at the Irkliiv Agricultural Lyceum. He worked in his specialty. In 2015, he decided to dedicate his life to the army and enrolled in the National Academy of Land Forces named after Hetman Petro Sahaidachny in Lviv. During his studies, he engaged in various sports and won prizes in competitions. He received the title of candidate for master of sports of Ukraine in hand-to-hand combat. After graduating in 2019, the young officer joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He carried out combat missions in the area of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO). During the full-scale Russian invasion, Vadim commanded an assault landing company in the 35th Separate Marine Brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Ostrogradskyi. Together with his unit in the 18th battalion, he defended Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions. "One evening, Vadim told me that he would be entering a military academy. I thought it was not true. But he took the external independent assessment himself and received invitations from three military academies: Odesa, Kharkiv, and Lviv. He chose the last one. I know for sure that it was not easy, but his perseverance, dedication, and responsibility conquered this peak as well... Many of his comrades called me. They said, 'There are very few commanders like him. Thank you for raising such a son.' We simply loved our sons and continue to love them. Damn war!" wrote the mother of the fallen officer, Larysa. "In our school family, there is terrible grief. Our graduate Vadim Lepeha was killed while defending his native land. The teachers have the warmest memories of him as a calm, quiet, and kind child. That is why there are no words to describe the pain that has filled the hearts of our community. It seems that this pain permeates the classrooms, the schoolyard, the sky over our village... We mourn the tragic death of our hero. We express our sincere condolences to the parents and relatives," wrote on the page of the Irkliiv Lyceum. The officer was buried in his native village. The street where he lived was renamed in his honor. Vadim is survived by his parents and brother.