Volodymyr O. Kotinov (Bairaktar)

Junior Sergeant Volodymyr Kotinov (call sign Bayraktar) was killed on January 2, 2023, during the defense of Soledar in the Donetsk region. In December, the warrior turned 32 years old. Volodymyr was born in the village of Bilozirya, Cherkasy region. After school, he studied at an automotive college. Since he was passionate about cars and technology, he did not hesitate in choosing his profession. He worked as a long-distance driver and loved his job very much. In his free time, he went fishing and rested with his family. When the full-scale war began, the man joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He fought in the ranks of the 99th separate motorized infantry battalion of the 14th Separate Motorized Brigade. He was the commander of the platoon supply section. He took part in the liberation of the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions. Later, his battalion was attached to another brigade and sent to the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. "In the Zhytomyr region, the enemy's unit took the 'loaf' from the man's unit, which was then used to evacuate the wounded from other parts of the front. My husband was an authority for many in the battalion. He was respected even by experienced military personnel. He defended the state until his last breath, always rushed to help his comrades-in-arms, many of whom he saved. Risking himself, he evacuated the fallen comrades-in-arms so that they could return home one last time," said the wife of the fallen Svitlana. The defender was buried in his native village. At home, Volodymyr was awaited by his wife, son, and daughter.