Vasyl V. Pipchak (Otaman)

Lieutenant Vasyl Pipchak (call sign Otaman) was killed on October 1, 2022 during a battle with the occupiers near the settlement of Lyubymivka in the Kherson region. The officer was forever 23 years old. Vasyl was born in the city of Tyachiv in Zakarpattia. He had dreamed of a military career since childhood. In 2016, he graduated from the Mukachevo Military Lyceum. In 2020, he became a graduate of the National Academy of Land Forces named after Hetman Petro Sahaidachny in Lviv. In his free time, he was engaged in sports and maintained a healthy lifestyle. After graduation, the young officer served in the 128th Separate Mountain Assault Zakarpattia Brigade. He was the commander of a tank platoon. He carried out combat missions in the area of the Joint Forces Operation. From the first days of the full-scale war, Vasyl, together with his comrades-in-arms, continued to defend his native country from the occupiers on various fronts. "My husband was a courageous commander and a good commander for his subordinates. In my eyes, he was the best, faithful and sincere son of his state, for which he was killed. He always said that everything was fine. His last words were: 'Everything was, is and will be fine,'" said the officer's wife, Khrystyna. The hero was buried in his hometown. His parents, brother and wife did not wait for their defender to return from the war.