Volodymyr M. Vovchenko

Born on October 19, 1980, in the village (since 2011 - village) of Malynivka, Volodarsky (since 2016 - Nikolske) district of Donetsk region. In childhood, he moved with his family to the city of Pyatykhatky in Dnipropetrovsk region. In 1998, he graduated from general education school No. 1 in the city of Pyatykhatky, then from Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University (city of Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region). Worked as a history teacher at the general education school in the village of Maryanivka, Pyatykhatky district, Dnipropetrovsk region, then at the Limited Liability Company "ATB-Market." From March 2014 to spring 2015, he served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine under partial mobilization. Since 2015, he served under contract in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was awarded the rank of "junior lieutenant." From spring 2016, he served as the deputy commander of the mortar battery of the 1st mechanized battalion of the 53rd separate mechanized brigade of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (military unit field post V0927, cities of Sievierodonetsk/Lysychansk, Luhansk region). Since 2015, he participated in the anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine. On July 18, 2016, around 03:00, during a mortar shelling of the brigade's positions by Russian-terrorist groups in the area of the urban-type settlement of Zaitseve, Horlivka city council (now - Bakhmut district) of Donetsk region, one of the shells hit the dugout where junior lieutenant Volodymyr Vovchenko was located. As a result of the explosion, the officer died on the spot. As a result of the shell hitting the dugout, soldier Mykola Litovko and captain Oleksandr Shvets also died. On the same day, senior soldier Oleg Hrabchak died in the hospital from injuries sustained during the explosion. He was buried in the cemetery of the city of Pyatykhatky, Dnipropetrovsk region.