Vladyslav I. Klishchuk

Vladyslav Ihorovych Klishchuk was born on March 10, 1995, in the village of Yurkivtsi, Vinnytsia region. Later, the family moved to Bukovyna, to the village of Kobolchyn. Vladyslav's mother, Liudmyla Klishchuk, recalls that Vlad had dreamed of becoming a special forces member since childhood, and he was very purposeful, kind, and sincere. Vlad's brother, Denys Klishchuk, remembers that as a young boy, Vlad watched themed movies and went on his first patrols while playing. Gradually, his childhood games turned into regular sports activities, and he began reading more specialized literature. Vladyslav Klishchuk had dreamed of connecting his life with law enforcement and protecting the Motherland since childhood. After graduating from Yurkivetska Secondary School in 2010, he entered the Bukovyna Military Lyceum. After completing his studies there in 2013-2015, he served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Starting in 2015, Vladyslav decided to connect his life with service in the units of the National Police. In 2015, he graduated from the Rivne Higher Vocational School of the Department of State Security Service under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and began working in the state security service, and later in the police. Since 2019, he has continued his service in the Special Purpose Company of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Chernivtsi region. Due to his high level of shooting skills, he was soon appointed as a sniper inspector in the rapid response platoon. He was repeatedly sent on assignments in the area of the Anti-Terrorist Operation / Joint Forces Operation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in 2015-2022. In 2021, Vladyslav graduated from the National Academy of Internal Affairs and was promoted to the rank of police lieutenant. Colleagues speak of Vladyslav as a professional who constantly improved his skills, was honest, conscientious, and very responsible. Police Sergeant Ruslan Chernii, who served with Vladyslav, said that the special forces unit was Vlad's dream, his way of life. Vladyslav had excellent tactical, fire, and physical training, was very meticulous about his work, trained persistently, and helped his colleagues improve. Vladyslav's biggest passion was sports. Engaging in weightlifting, he repeatedly participated in various competitions and actively involved friends and acquaintances in a healthy lifestyle. He was an instructor in hand-to-hand combat, easily able to develop training programs, ensuring the accuracy of exercise execution, and always supporting and encouraging others. When the enemy launched a full-scale invasion of Ukrainian territory, Vladyslav was one of the first to express a desire to defend the country from Russian invaders. As part of the Special Purpose Regiment of the National Police of Ukraine "Safari," the law enforcement officer, together with his comrades-in-arms, carried out combat missions in the Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhia regions, where the police, together with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard, were daily involved in the liberation and clearing of territories from the occupiers. While on assignment, Vladyslav Klishchuk participated in the inspection of the de-occupied territories to identify illegal armed formations, enemy troops, their accomplices, and their disarmament. Together with his colleagues, the police officer worked on former enemy strongholds, infrastructure facilities, and participated in documenting the crimes of the Russian army. There, in the harsh conditions of the brutal war, Vladyslav's sensitivity was particularly evident. The law enforcement officer could not ignore the local children, always inquiring if they were doing well, if they needed help, and what their dreams and desires were. He always left the store with sweets for the children and food for stray dogs and cats. According to Vladyslav's wife, Olena, when he spoke about what he saw on the front line, he said that the war was much more terrible than shown in the news: "The enemy is cruel and merciless, for him nothing is sacred. But we will not give the invaders a single piece of our Ukrainian land." In the early hours of May 22, 2022, the Russian Federation's troops launched a missile strike on the location where Vladyslav Klishchuk was. The injuries he sustained were incompatible with life. Tragically, May 22 was the date of the Klishchuks' acquaintance. This year, Vladyslav did not have time to congratulate his beloved wife on their anniversary. For Olena, he will forever remain an example of a true man: strong, courageous, reliable, and at the same time incredibly tender and sensitive. "Everything will be fine," Vladyslav assured his wife. "Not today, but we will definitely win!" For personal courage and selfless actions in defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, loyalty to the military oath, Vladyslav Ihorovych Klishchuk was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree.