Viktor A. Hretskyi

45-year-old Captain Viktor Hretskyi was killed on March 6, 2022, while carrying out a combat mission near the settlement of Novotroitske in the Donetsk region. The defender, along with his comrade, was trying to evacuate the wounded from the battlefield, but their vehicle was blown up. Viktor was born in the settlement of Kyrive (now the settlement of Pivnichne) in the Donetsk region. He graduated from a higher military automotive school and obtained the qualification of mechanical engineer. He was passionate about cars. After graduation, he joined the army and dedicated his entire life to military service. At the time of the full-scale invasion, Viktor was the assistant head of the RAO and logistics service in the 54th separate mechanized brigade named after Hetman Ivan Mazepa. After the death of Viktor and his comrades, the settlement of Novotroitske was occupied by Russian troops. The bodies of the Ukrainian defenders lay there for many days until the local residents buried them in a mass grave at the local cemetery near the Donetsk highway. "We lived together for 22 years. You were my shield and support, my stone wall, my reliable rear, you never feared anything, you always stood up for the truth and justice. Strong, brave, courageous, a true officer, a defender. I believe that we will liberate all our cities and villages, and I will be able to find you and bury you properly, next to your parents," said his wife Marina Nikulina. The officer left behind a wife and two daughters.