Volodymyr A. Volodin

Volodymyr Anatoliyovych Volodin was born on March 18, 1969, in the city of Rustavi (Georgia). Before the early 1990s, he studied, obtained a technical specialty, and worked in Tbilisi. However, he forever tied his fate to Ukraine and the defense of its freedom and independence. Volodymyr Volodin defended his family and Ukraine from hostile aggression since 2014: first as a police officer in the special patrol police unit "Poltava," and later as part of the police battalion of the special patrol police of the Main Department of the National Police in the Poltava region. For the last six months, Lieutenant Volodin served as a sniper. His friend and colleague, Senior Sergeant of the "Poltava" battalion Oleksandr Ivanishak, remembers Volodymyr as positive, cheerful, and sensitive to others' misfortunes, able to find the right words in any situation. Their friendship began in 2014 after the Maidan. In the first days of the escalation of the situation in Donbas, they went together to the police department of Poltava region to join the ranks of the volunteer battalion formed to serve in the area of the anti-terrorist operation. Just a few months after professional training, they carried out service and combat tasks in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as part of both the battalion and consolidated police units. The most memorable for Senior Sergeant Ivanishak was their first rotation in August 2014, when he and Volodymyr were dispatched to support the paratroopers of the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the village of Nyzhnya Krynka, Donetsk region. The "Poltava" battalion fighters had to break through enemy ambushes and mortar fire to reach their deployment point. It became even more challenging as they needed to evacuate about 10 wounded soldiers under Grad shelling. They succeeded! Without cover, in unarmored vehicles, at a speed of at least 100 km/h along mined field roads, and most importantly — without losses. After leaving the wounded in a safe place, the fighters loaded the vehicles with food and drinking water and returned along the same route, under the ongoing cannonade of shelling, to their positions in Nyzhnya Krynka, where their unit had been waiting for them for almost three days with hope. During this period, Volodymyr had to evacuate children from the village of Shyrokyne in Donetsk region twice under mortar fire. He also delivered fuel and ammunition to the Azov regiment fighters who were in Mariupol at that time. Overall, during this month, while under constant fire, the law enforcement officers carried out the tasks set by the command. According to his colleagues, Volodymyr was a versatile fighter. The police lieutenant acted clearly and professionally in extreme situations. He had unique shooting skills as well as sapper expertise, which often helped set traps for separatists in Donbas. In November 2014, Volodymyr Volodin identified a female sniper who ruthlessly killed Ukrainian soldiers. He anticipated her actions and mined her sniper position. The result of this successful operation was the enemy's death and the preservation of his comrades' lives. Oleksandr Ivanishak recalls his fallen partner and friend: "He was a very hardworking person with many hobbies. Volodymyr put his soul into everything he did. He had golden hands. He was a talented blacksmith, creating incredible things from metal. Additionally, in his youth, he engaged in parachuting. Volodymyr had 38 parachute jumps, and he reached the highest altitude of 800 meters by jumping from a helicopter." Inspector-sniper of platoon No. 2 of company No. 1 of the special patrol police battalion "Poltava," Volodymyr Volodin, was killed on February 26, 2022, in Poltava, on the way to a defensive fire point. Half a kilometer from the checkpoint of one of the military units, the vehicle carrying 52-year-old Lieutenant Volodin and his colleague was fired upon. The gunshot wounds sustained by the law enforcement officers turned out to be fatal. Volodymyr Volodin knew how to appreciate every moment of life and make the most of it, dedicating attention to his family and beloved hobbies at every opportunity. Volodymyr is survived by a son and daughter, as well as two grandchildren whom he loved dearly. His life is an example of great love for Ukraine, for the freedom and independence of which he gave his life. His son Oleksiy continues his father's legacy, serving in the "Poltava" battalion. Volodymyr Volodin is buried in the Alley of Heroes at the Central City Cemetery in Poltava. For personal courage and selfless actions displayed in the defense of Ukraine's state sovereignty and territorial integrity, and loyalty to his military oath, Volodymyr Anatoliyovych Volodin was posthumously awarded the Order of "For Courage" III class.