Vasyl O. Drozd

Vasyl Oleksandrovych Drozd was born on January 22, 1980, in the Zhytomyr region, although he spent his childhood and youth in Odesa region. After finishing local school, he obtained a basic secondary education in the village of Poliezne, Rozdilnanska district. His military career in the ranks of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine began in 1998 when he joined the friendly team of the Podilsk Border Detachment. Despite his service, he found free time for sports and was the goalkeeper of the local football team. He enjoyed fishing and collected knives. He never missed an opportunity to spend time with children. In 2015, as part of a combined detachment, he participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Eastern Ukraine, where he bravely and selflessly fulfilled his official duties. Learning what is necessary in war was a principle that Vasyl Drozd adhered to unwaveringly. Since March 11, 2023, Vasyl joined the formation of the 15th Mobile Border Detachment. Since July 8, 2023, Senior Master Sergeant Vasyl Drozd, as part of the 4th Rapid Reaction Border Command of the 15th Mobile Border Detachment, was dispatched to carry out combat missions to repel the armed aggression of the Russian Federation in the Kupiansk-Lyman direction, in the Kharkiv region. On November 23, 2023, Vasyl Drozd was performing a task to defend the position of the "Odesa" unit in the area of the village of Pershotravneve in the Kupiansk district of Kharkiv region. The enemy, under the cover of artillery and mortar fire, began an assault on the "Odesa" position. During the attack, Senior Master Sergeant Vasyl Drozd, maintaining self-control and composure, continued to carry out the combat task together with his comrades, not allowing the occupiers to seize advantageous positions. Thanks to Vasyl Drozd's confident and decisive actions, the enemy failed to dislodge our defenders from their positions. Vasyl also organized and successfully conducted the evacuation of an injured comrade, thereby saving his life. Unfortunately, a mine that exploded nearby disoriented Vasyl Drozd, which the enemy exploited, hitting the border guard with small arms fire. From the injuries sustained, Vasyl died on the battlefield. For his personal courage and selfless actions displayed in the defense of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and loyalty to the military oath, Senior Master Sergeant Vasyl Oleksandrovych Drozd was posthumously awarded the Order of "For Courage" of the III degree.