Vladlen O. Makarevych (Viter)

Sergeant Major Vladlen Makarevich (call sign Wind) was killed on December 8, 2022, while carrying out a combat mission in the area of the settlement of Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region. The defender received a fatal explosive injury. He would have turned 28 years old on December 15. Vladlen was born and lived in Kyiv. He graduated from the National Technical University of Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute named after Igor Sikorsky", and obtained the profession of an engineer. He worked at the Traffic Organization Center in the capital. He was fascinated by technology, vintage cars, and motorcycles. He loved and knew how to handle weapons, which is why he went to war as a sniper. He was passionate about fishing and loved to spend time in nature with friends. At the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, the man joined the Kyiv Territorial Defense Forces. He underwent training and later joined the ranks of the National Guard of Ukraine. He served in the 25th Public Order Protection Brigade named after Prince Askold, holding the position of Chief Sergeant. During the war, in 2022, the man got married. But half a year later, he was killed. "My husband was a devoted son of his Motherland, who could not imagine his life without his native Kyiv and mother Ukraine. He put all his strength into its defense and our life and future. From the first day of the full-scale invasion, he stood up to protect the country. Vladlen valued life more than anything and had a sense of justice, so he could not remain on the sidelines. 'Who, if not me? Who will protect my city? My country?' - with these words he made the decision to go to the very hell, to the place where the most terrible battles were raging, for the sake of the independence of our country... for our future with you..." - said Olena Makarevich. The warrior was buried at the Lisovyi Cemetery in his native Kyiv. The defender left behind his parents, sister, and wife. Vladlen Makarevich was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree.