Vitalii M. Skrekoten (Kiborh)

Military serviceman Vitaliy Skrekoten (call sign Cyborg) was killed on October 10, 2022, during a hostile rocket attack near Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region. The defender was 51 years old. Vitaliy was born in the village of Horoshkiv, Kyiv region. He graduated from the local school and the Bila Tserkva Higher Vocational School of Construction and Service. He moved to the village of Perehonivka in the Obukhiv district of Kyiv region. He worked as a builder and engaged in beekeeping. When the Russian-Ukrainian war began in 2014, Vitaliy was mobilized into the ranks of the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade. He served as a mechanic-driver and performed combat missions in the area of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO). He participated in battles for Opytne, Avdiivka, and Pisky in Donetsk region. He was awarded the badge "For the Defense of Donetsk Airport," which is where his call sign Cyborg comes from. When he returned from the ATO, he continued to run his own business. However, the war caught up with him again. From the first days of the full-scale invasion of Russian occupiers, Vitaliy enlisted in the Obukhiv Territorial Defense and voluntarily went to the front as part of the 135th Separate Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served as a rifleman in a platoon. In May 2022, he led part of his company out of encirclement in the city of Sievierodonetsk. He was awarded the Order of Courage of the 3rd degree and a certificate of honor from his military unit "For Courage and Bravery." "For the soldiers of our unit, he was a true authority on many military and civilian matters. He combined various skills, including combat commander, construction engineer, sapper, driver, and platoon manager... and willingly shared his knowledge. To me, Cyborg was a good friend and teacher, a guide who helped effectively command the unit," wrote comrade Bohdan Yatsun. "Dad was a true cyborg: a participant in the ATO and heavy battles for Donetsk Airport. I believe Dad deserves the highest state award," noted his daughter Marina. The defender was buried in the village of Perehonivka in Kyiv region. At home, Vitaliy was awaited by his wife Svitlana, daughters Marina and Ilona, and grandson Tymofiy.