Valentyn O. Piven

Senior Soldier Valentyn Piven was killed in action on April 16, 2022, near the town of Zolote in Luhansk region. During the execution of a combat mission, he sustained fatal injuries as a result of hostile artillery fire. The warrior was 28 years old. Valentyn was born in the village of Varvarivka, Dnipropetrovsk region. He stu at the local lyceum. Then he graduated from Dnipro College of Railway Transport and Transport Infrastructure. He lived with his family in the village of Debry in Lviv region. During the full-scale war, Valentyn fought for Ukraine in the ranks of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Daniel. He defended Luhansk region. "How to go on living... When there was a daily call I was eagerly awaiting: 'Hello, mommy, how are you there?!'. And my heart would feel lighter. But now there are no calls, I will never hear his voice again. We raised him for 28 years, loved him, protected him, worried about him and now... It's over... They say when two sons are born, a mother grows two wings on her back. It is so painful to realize that now I have only one wing. And I will not fly anymore... It feels like living in darkness, not knowing when I will find a way out... Everyone says 'Hero, Hero', but a mother needs her dear son, not a hero. And I think it will always be like this because everywhere I look, everything reminds me of him, my dear Valyusha. I love him so much. The pain does not subside, there is a big wound inside that keeps bleeding. Every day is a trial... We are proud of our son, his courage and fearlessness, he is a true Patriot and Hero of his country. He fulfilled his duty to the country, he was not afraid and did not hide... May he now rest in peace, we will always remember him, he will live forever in our hearts," said the fallen warrior's mother Oksana. "Valik will forever remain for us as a cheerful, restless, capable of unpredictable pranks. We will remember him smiling at the first desk, focused on school sports competitions, and persistent in any discussion. It is hard to realize. We miss him. We remember him. Heavenly Kingdom to you, our boy!" wrote on the page of Varvarivka Lyceum. The defender was buried at the cemetery near the village of Verblyany in Lviv region. Valentyn is survived by his wife Oksana, daughter Yelyzaveta, son Serhiy, relatives, and friends. Posthumously, Senior Soldier Valentyn Piven was awarded the Order of "Courage" III degree.