Yaroslav V. Vykhopen (Chornyi)

Yaroslav Vykhoven was born on June 16, 1987, in the village of Zhovtantsi, Kamyanka-Buzka district of Lviv region. His love for Ukraine was embedded in his genes. Brave, determined, reliable, and just, Yaroslav Vykhoven devotedly loved his homeland and fought for it since 2014. Police comrade Yuriy Hera recalls: "Yaroslav was raised as a true Ukrainian who loves his homeland and is ready to fight for it." For his family, Yaroslav was always a role model and support: a caring son and father, a loving husband, and a skilled craftsman. The hero's wife, Olha, remembers that her husband radiated kindness and never refused to help anyone: "Our Yaroslav was a very kind, sensitive, and fair person. He loved everyone: children, his family, friends, and comrades. He was the soul of the company. And on the front lines, the guys spoke of him the same way. Because everything he did was for the people." Yaroslav's mother, Bohdana Vykhoven, shares memories of how her son went as a volunteer to the ATO zone in 2014 with his father. When he returned home, he became a rescuer. When the full-scale war with Russia began, nothing could stop his desire to liberate Ukraine from the occupiers. By August 2022, Yaroslav achieved an appointment in the special patrol police battalion "Lviv." "It is very sad and difficult to realize that such a person is no longer with us. He always showed a desire to be the first when it was necessary to carry out complex combat missions," says Viktor Pankiv, deputy commander of the 2nd company of the patrol police battalion "Lviv." "My son is a Hero to me… His love for Ukraine was embedded in his genes from my parents. I told him: son, you have a reservation, don’t go anywhere. But he said: mom, if I don’t go, they will come to us," recounts the fighter's mother, Bohdana Vykhoven. Together with his police comrades, Yaroslav passed through Zaporizhzhia, Izium, Kupiansk, and Bakhmut, and for a lightning operation in the Lyman direction, he was awarded the badge of "Sign of Honor" of the National Police of Ukraine. The fallen hero's friend, Yaroslav Zalisko, recalls: "We met during the Izium operation, their unit was also conducting assault actions and clean-ups. Yaroslav was both a professional in military affairs and a rescuer. He always wanted to be the first, the best, and he worked towards that, being very determined." The fatal battle in Donetsk region was the last for Yaroslav Vykhoven. Relatives say that only two weeks remained for the fighter until rotation, so they were counting the days until they would see him. The last call from his beloved was received by his wife just a few hours before the tragedy. "On October 15, we talked, and he told me that he would definitely call again soon… It was on a Sunday, and on the night from Sunday to Monday, he was killed. And I can’t believe it. I wait for him every day," mourns the police officer's wife, Olha. Yaroslav's son – 15-year-old Nestor – is also struggling with the loss, as his father was a true friend and mentor to him: "I spent a lot of time with my dad. We went fishing and to football together. It is very hard for me right now; I miss the words he used to say to me." For his personal courage and selflessness shown in defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as his diligent and impeccable service to the Ukrainian people, Yaroslav Vykhoven was posthumously awarded the distinction "For the Defense of Ukraine."