Volodymyr V. Hrechanyi

Born on March 23, 1978, in the city of Voznesensk, Mykolaiv region, in a family of workers. Ukrainian. In 1993, he graduated from the 9th grade of general education school No. 5 in Voznesensk, and in 1996 - from vocational technical school No. 32 in Voznesensk (now Voznesensk Professional Agrarian Lyceum) with a specialty in "broad profile machinist." He worked as a tractor driver in the collective farm "Progress" (Voznesensk). In August 1996, he was drafted for compulsory military service in the ranks of the Border Troops of Ukraine by the Voznesensk military commissariat of Mykolaiv region. After completing his compulsory military service, he continued his military service under contract. He served as a cadet, driver-instructor in the Training Border Detachment (military unit 9930, village of Orshanytsia, Sosnivka district, Cherkasy city). In 1999, he graduated from the Training Center for the Preparation and Retraining of Warrant Officers (military unit 1490, Chuhuiv, Kharkiv region) with a specialty in "senior technician." From February 1999, he continued service in the Training Border Detachment as a senior instructor of the training machine section. In 2004, he underwent training in special several-month courses "Saturn" in the city of Khmelnytskyi. After the courses, he was enrolled in the Reserve of the Head of the State Border Service for the protection of Ukraine's foreign diplomatic missions. From 2005 to 2007, he was the commander at the Consulate General of Ukraine in Frankfurt am Main (Federal Republic of Germany). From February 22, 2008, he served as an assistant to the head of the special means supply department of the engineering and technical support department of the Training Center for the Preparation of Junior Specialists of the State Border Service of Ukraine (now named after Major General Ihor Momot - military unit 9930, village of Orshanytsia, Sosnivka district, Cherkasy city). Since the spring of 2014, he participated in the anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine. On June 14, 2014, a column of vehicles of the State Border Service, in which Warrant Officer Volodymyr Hrechany was present, was heading for rotation to the border units with a cargo of provisions and property. Around 10:00, on the outskirts of the city of Mariupol, Donetsk region, near the Azovstal metallurgical plant, the column was ambushed by militants and was fired upon with automatic and sniper weapons and grenades. A grenade hit the cabin of the MAZ vehicle, where Warrant Officer Volodymyr Hrechany was located. As a result of the explosion, the border guard sustained serious injuries. Volodymyr Hrechany was taken to the hospital in Mariupol. Doctors fought for the life of the border guard, but their efforts were in vain. Volodymyr Hrechany died from his injuries during the operation. During the confrontation, Senior Sergeant Serhiy Yepifanov, Major Mykola Zaitsev, and serviceman (driver) Oleksandr Ostrovskyi also died. On the same day, Major Vitaliy Vinnichenko died from his injuries in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Another 7 border guards sustained injuries of varying severity. On June 18, 2014, he was buried in the city cemetery in the "Natyahailivka" area of Voznesensk, Mykolaiv region.