Volodymyr V. Roiko (Viking)

Scout Volodymyr Royko (call sign Viking) was killed on May 2, 2022, in the area of the village of Protopopivka in the Izium district of Kharkiv Oblast. He received a fatal gunshot wound in a battle with the enemy. The warrior was 37 years old. Volodymyr was born in the village of Halchyn in the Zhytomyr Oblast. He graduated from Andrushivka Vocational School No. 32, where he mastered the specialty of tractor driver. In civilian life, he worked as a high-altitude installer and later went abroad for work. From 2017 to 2019, he served under contract in the 95th Airborne Brigade, participating in the Anti-Terrorist Operation/Joint Forces Operation. In 2018, he received a medal "For the Defense of Avdiivka." He was interested in weapons and had a collection of knives. On the second day of the full-scale war, February 25, 2022, Volodymyr was called up to the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, taking the position of reserve soldier of the backup platoon of the 28th reserve company. In March-April 2022, he participated in the liberation of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the surrounding areas. In April, he was transferred to the 132nd Separate Reconnaissance Battalion, where he served as a decryption specialist for reconnaissance materials from unmanned aerial vehicles. "Volodymyr was the youngest in the family — the fourth child of his parents. He was a wonderful son, a faithful husband, a caring father, a loving brother, honest and decent in his attitude towards those around him. His main traits were a heightened sense of justice and honor. His comrades gave him the call sign Viking, while his mother called him Oak for his love, constant support, and reliability. Our family has lost an invaluable treasure that no one can replace, and the meaning of life — as if a piece of light and kindness has been torn from the soul," said the deceased's older sister, Natalia. The hero was buried in his native village. The defender is survived by his mother, wife, son, daughter, sister, and brother. Posthumously, soldier Volodymyr Royko was awarded the Order of Courage III class.