Vasyl V. Kordiuk (Kobra)

33-year-old soldier Vasyl Kordyuk (call sign Cobra) was killed on October 5, 2022, during the liberation of Kherson region from the occupiers. Near the village of Pyatykhatky, while saving his comrades, the fighter sustained fatal injuries. Vasyl was born in the city of Mykolaiv in Lviv region. He obtained a secondary technical education and worked as a mechanic. With the onset of the full-scale war, the man went to the military enlistment office without telling his family about his intentions. Later, he joined the ranks of the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade to defend Ukraine from the occupiers. On October 5, together with his comrades, Cobra set out on a combat mission. An enemy shell hit their armored vehicle "Kozak." Three fighters were killed instantly. Vasyl pulled out the wounded. They then transferred to another "Kozak," which was almost immediately hit by a second shell. The soldiers managed to jump out, but another strike took Vasyl's life. His body was found only a month after his death, on the day of Kherson's liberation. He was identified by his belongings. "My husband was never afraid of anything; he was always our support and strength. He was brave and strong. He loved life very much and wanted to live, but unfortunately, the war took him from us," said the defender's wife, Olga. The serviceman was buried in his hometown. Vasyl is survived by his mother, wife, and two children. In 2022, the 8-year-old son of the fallen soldier, Dmytro, wrote a letter to St. Nicholas asking to recognize his dad as a Hero of Ukraine.