Volodymyr R. Vlasishyn (Amerykanets)

Sergeant Volodymyr Vlasishin (call sign Amerykanets) was killed on July 29, 2022, in the Olenivska colony when the Russians blew up one of the barracks where Ukrainian prisoners of war were being held. He was only 29 years old. Volodymyr was from the city of Khmilnytskyi. He studied there until the 3rd grade in a regular school, and then in a boarding school. Volodymyr's father was killed in tragic circumstances when the boy was still a preschooler. Both the father and the son was killed at the age of 29. As an adult, the young man buried his mother - the woman was killed of kidney disease. After finishing school, Volodymyr was preparing to become a medical professional, but changed his mind. When he finished the 9th grade, he enrolled in a local vocational school. By profession, he was a builder. He loved sports. He played football. He was also a good artist. During the Revolution of Dignity, Volodymyr went to Kyiv. On the Maidan, he met guys from the patriotic movement. Thanks to them, he learned about "Azov" and in 2014 he joined them together with his brother. Volodymyr and his brother underwent basic training and joined the mortar division of the regiment based in Urzuf. Amerykanets actively participated in the Shyrokyne operation. When I joined his unit, Volodymyr was already the commander of the calculation. A little later, when we were divided into batteries between two battalions, we moved to Mariupol. Amerykanets was one of the best spotters at the time among the five calculations. Once we counted the combat exits together, and he had over 50 exits, and all of them in the "M" sector, - recalls Volodymyr's comrade-in-arms. During his service in "Azov", Volodymyr met the love of his life. In December 2015, the newlyweds got married, and later bought a house near Mariupol. A daughter and a son were born in the family. "He was very calm, kind, and caring. A good person. He always came to help," said grandmother Maria Vorontsova. In 2019, Volodymyr transferred to the communications platoon, where he continued to serve. During the full-scale invasion, he defended Mariupol and the Azovstal plant. Then he was taken prisoner. Amerykanets managed to call his relatives from the Olenivska colony twice. "Grandma, I'm here for two minutes. I'm doing well, don't worry about me," recalls Maria Yakivna. The defender was buried on the Alley of Glory in the Rakove microdistrict in Khmilnytskyi. Volodymyr is survived by his wife, daughter, son, grandmother, brother, and aunt.