Vladyslav O. Drahan (Drakon)

Soldier Vladislav Dragan was killed on March 27, 2022, in Mariupol, Donetsk region. The defender was 22 years old. Vladislav was born in the city of Pidhorodne, Dnipropetrovsk region. From a young age, he adored cars and dreamed of becoming a car mechanic. However, after the 9th grade, he was unable to enroll in that specialty. His family convinced him to obtain a qualification as a lathe operator at vocational technical school No. 2 in Dnipro. After graduating, he worked for a while in his specialty at a factory, but his love for cars prevailed. He quit and got a job at a local auto repair shop. He dreamed of earning money and opening his own service station. "Vladislav was very sociable, independent, and hard-working. Since I divorced his father, we lived with my mother for some time. While I worked, she taught Vladik everything: how to cook, clean the house, and work in the garden. He could do everything," says his mother, Irina Dragan-Tan. "When he had a stepfather and we had a daughter, Vladik simply adored her, affectionately calling her only 'sister.' She called him 'brother.' In 2019, Vladislav was drafted for mandatory military service. Although his mother tried to dissuade him, he decided to sign a 3-year contract with the National Guard of Ukraine. He became a squad commander and served in the Donetsk direction. He met the beginning of the full-scale invasion on the outskirts of Mariupol, but from the first days, Vladislav's unit was sent into the city itself. The young man called his mother whenever possible, sharing news and assuring her that he was alive and well. The last time his mother spoke with her son was on March 11, 2022. On March 18, Vladislav managed to call his beloved girlfriend for a few seconds and informed her that he was fine. After that, his family received no more calls or messages from him. When the defenders of Mariupol began to exit "Azovstal" into captivity on May 16, 2022, and videos and photos appeared online, the family reviewed each one in search of Vladislav. Unfortunately, they did not see him in any of them. Therefore, they filed a report with the police to search for their son. They did not stop believing and hoping for the best. During each of the exchanges, they reviewed the list of names and hoped until the last moment. Only after 14 months did the family receive a message about a DNA match of 99.9%. Vladislav was laid to rest on May 28, 2023. He was buried at the Alley of Honorary Burials in his hometown. Vladislav is survived by his mother, younger sister, beloved girlfriend, stepfather, and father. Posthumously, the defender was awarded the Order of "For Courage" of the 3rd degree.