Vitalii M. Humeniuk (Ispanets)

29-year-old soldier Vitaliy Humeniuk (call sign Spaniard) was killed on June 23, 2022 near the village of Spirne in Donetsk region. He returned from Spain to fight for Ukraine and did so until his last breath. Vitaliy was born in the village of Ivantsi in Rivne region. When he was 10 years old, his parents divorced. Vitaliy and his sister moved to Spain with their mother. There, the boy finished school and got interested in sports, dreaming of becoming a policeman like many of his relatives on his mother's side. However, he chose the construction field. He was fascinated by giant construction cranes, studied to become a construction worker, particularly a crane operator. At the same time, he did apartment renovations. Vitaliy's sister obtained Spanish citizenship, but he refused - he wanted to remain Ukrainian. In his room, he hung a Ukrainian flag above his bed, and books on the history of Ukraine were always on his shelf. When he came of age, he went to Ukraine, wanting to serve in the army. During the medical examination, he was found unfit for service due to vision problems. The young man returned to Spain and engaged in volunteering: he helped people with addictions recover, involved them in sports and athletics. He rescued, helped, studied, worked, and visited outdoor gyms. However, in April 2022, Vitaliy came back to defend Ukraine from the occupiers. He was proud to have become a warrior of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Roman the Great. He was a gunner, an operator of the reconnaissance platoon. On May 24, 2022, he celebrated his 29th birthday already at the combat positions. And in June, he was killed in action. "He was a young man who loved Ukraine the most and dreamed of coming to rebuild it after the war, having such a specialty. 'To you, my Ukraine, my first and last breath...' - this is exactly about him," said an acquaintance. The Ukrainian Spaniard was buried in the village of Polytsi in Rivne region. Vitaliy is survived by his parents and sister.