Vladyslav Yu. Pokryshchuk

26-year-old Sergeant Major Vladyslav Pokryshchuk was killed on December 26, 2023 near the village of Synkivka in the Kharkiv region. During the performance of a combat mission, he sustained fatal injuries as a result of an enemy mine explosion. Vladyslav was born in the city of Bar, Vinnytsia region. A year later, he moved with his family to the village of Ivano-Frankove, Lviv region. In 2012, he graduated from the 9th grade of the local secondary school. He then entered the Bar Humanitarian and Pedagogical College. After graduating in 2016 with a degree in "Publishing and Editing", he obtained the qualification of editor. He loved animals, especially dogs, as evidenced by his repeated donations to save sick animals. His favorite hobbies in childhood and youth were photography, mushroom picking, fishing, and coin collecting. He also loved to travel, with the Carpathian mountains being his greatest fascination. He visited many European countries: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy. He dreamed of visiting Argentina and the USA, but always wanted to live in Ukraine. Since April 2016, at the age of 18, he became a blood donor. By 2022, he had donated blood 25 times. In 2016-2019, the young man served under contract in the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. In July 2019, he underwent training in the program for the preparation of operators of unmanned aerial vehicles of the copter type at the Main Training Center of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, and received the corresponding certificate. After demobilization, he worked as an armored car driver at PrivatBank. "He was distinguished by discipline, decency, willingness to teach and help newcomers. Always smiling, polite, balanced, non-conflictual," recalled his former colleagues from the bank. On February 24, 2022, Vladyslav went to war. Initially, he was a mortar commander as part of the 80th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade. He fought in the Mykolaiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions. In July, he received the honorable badge of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine "For Excellence in Military Service" of the II degree. Since September 2022, he has served in the ranks of the Special Operations Forces, holding the position of senior operator of the special purpose group. "A loving only son, beloved husband, attentive and the best grandson for his grandmothers, a good brother, a devoted comrade, a patriot of his village and Ukraine. He was loved and respected by many people, had many friends. Vladyk was always with a friendly smile, sincere, kind, sensitive, courageous, strong, cultured, highly moral, a patriot of his country, a good organizer of good deeds. He was always ready to help others, treated the elderly with respect. Vladyslav could always support any company with his sense of humor, won people's sympathy with his ability to understand and establish long-lasting, strong relationships based on mutual trust and goodwill," said the mother of the deceased Myroslava. "A young man with a deep sense of patriotism, justice and all-encompassing love for the Ukrainian land, for his family. He was among those who first stood up to defend his native Ukraine. At the college, Vlad is remembered as a sincere and infinitely devoted to the cause and friendship person. He was kind and open to the world and people. Teachers and students respected Vladyslav for his reliability and life position," added the Bar College. The special forces officer was buried in the village of Ivano-Frankove, Lviv region. Vladyslav is survived by his mother, wife, grandmothers, other relatives, friends and many comrades-in-arms.