Vitalii I. Fira (Zhorik)

22-year-old soldier Vitaliy Fira (call sign Zhorik) died on March 26, 2023 near the village of Bilohorivka in the Donetsk region. While repelling an enemy assault, he received a fatal shrapnel wound during an artillery barrage. Vitaliy was born in the village of Vyshnevе in the Kherson region. He graduated from the 11th grade of the Tavriiska secondary school of grades I-III. From an early age, he was fascinated by technology, so after his studies, he worked as a tractor driver. He adored his tractor and took great care of it. He always had many friends. After the start of the full-scale invasion, Vitaliy and his family moved to the Chernivtsi region. In January 2023, he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade "Edelweiss", holding the position of rifleman-medic. "We were one with him - always together. Wherever I was with my husband, Vitaliy always lived with us, since he had not yet had time to start his own family, and I could not leave him alone without support. He was a very hardworking person. There was never any sadness in our home, there was always a crowd of friends: either repairing the tractor because it broke down, or resting after a hard working day in the field. My brother is a man with a capital letter. I have always been and will always be proud of him. Our souls are torn apart by the terrible pain that our courageous brother, a soldier for the state, a friend for comrades, a comrade-in-arms, is no more. But he will remain in our hearts forever. I think many comrades remember him, because Vitaliy was not only a true patriot, but also a devoted friend. You could always rely on him. He always thought about others more than about himself. He constantly spoke only good things about his comrades-in-arms. For him, they were a second family," wrote the sister of the fallen Anzhela Yarusevych-Radytsia. The defender was buried in the city of Zastavna, Chernivtsi region. Vitaliy is survived by his sister, brother, niece, relatives, friends and comrades-in-arms. Vitaliy Fira was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree.