Vitalii O. Mandryk

Born on April 12, 1987, in the city of Krasnoarmiysk (now Pokrovsk) in the Donetsk region. Graduated from a general education school. Since the 2000s, served in the internal affairs bodies of Ukraine. Worked as a district police inspector at the Krasnoarmiysk city police department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the Donetsk region, and from 2011, as an operational officer in the rapid response department of the special unit for combating organized crime "Sokil" of the Department for Combating Organized Crime of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the Donetsk region (city of Donetsk). A master of sports in hand-to-hand combat. Participated multiple times and won prizes in the Ukrainian championships in hand-to-hand combat. In the summer of 2014, he did not betray his oath and left the city of Donetsk, which was captured by terrorists, for the city of Mariupol in the Donetsk region, where he continued his service. Since 2014, he participated in the anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine. He carried out combat missions in the cities of Marinka, Debaltseve, and the village of Pisky in the Yasynuvata district of the Donetsk region. On February 23, 2015, in the city of Mariupol, three employees of the special unit "Sokil," including senior lieutenant of police Vitaliy Mandryk, were on duty together with a representative of the State Automobile Inspectorate as part of a rapid response group. The actions of the police officers were aimed at identifying citizens who might be transporting weapons or explosive substances to timely prevent terrorist acts or other offenses in the city. At 18:15, the police officers stopped a "DAEWOO" car to conduct checks on the passengers on Pashkovskogo Street in the Ordzhonikidze district of Mariupol. Inside the car were two criminals who opened fire on the law enforcement officers. As a result of the shootout, senior lieutenant Mandryk received a gunshot wound to the temple area of the head, from which he soon died at the scene. Two other employees of the special unit "Sokil" were injured. During the pursuit, one of the bandits was killed by the police, while the other managed to escape from the scene. During a search of the criminals' car, a bag with explosives was found. It turned out that the bandits were part of a sabotage and reconnaissance group of terrorists planning to carry out a series of terrorist acts in the city of Mariupol. During operational search activities, a month later, law enforcement managed to establish the whereabouts of the second criminal. During the operation to detain him, he committed suicide. On February 25, 2015, he was buried at the Alley of Heroes in the Central Cemetery of the city of Krasnoarmiysk (now Pokrovsk) in the Donetsk region.