Volodymyr L. Martsynko (Viektor)

Sergeant Volodymyr Martynko (call sign Vector) was killed on May 27, 2022, during a battle with Russian occupiers in the area of the village of Velyke Artakove in Mykolaiv Oblast. The defender was 45 years old. Volodymyr was born in the city of Dniprodzerzhynsk (now Kamyanske) in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Soon after, the family moved to Khmelnytskyi Oblast and then to the village of Novooleksandrivka in Mykolaiv Oblast. After school, he served in the army for a short term in Desna, Chernihiv Oblast. When he returned home, he worked on a farm in the collective farm "Pravda." After the collective farm was dissolved, he cultivated his own land, which he received as a share. Later, he worked at a milk collection point, supplying milk to the Bashtanka cheese factory. His fellow villagers respected Volodymyr. He lived in the village with his wife. The couple raised a daughter and two sons. He also welcomed three grandchildren, whom he loved dearly. When the Russian-Ukrainian war began in 2014, Volodymyr took up the defense of his native country. He served in many hotspots, including Marinka in Donetsk Oblast. He was a squad leader. With the start of the full-scale invasion by Russian occupiers on February 27, 2022, Volodymyr was called up to the ranks of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Bilynskyi. He was the commander of the armored vehicle service section of the repair platoon of the repair company of the armored weapons and equipment restoration battalion. According to his comrades, he was level-headed, had a sufficient level of knowledge in tactics and fire training, and had saved the lives of his comrades more than once. The defender was buried in the village of Novooleksandrivka in Mykolaiv Oblast. Volodymyr is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, and many relatives and friends. Posthumously, Sergeant Volodymyr Martynko was awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree.