Yurii A. Kapleta

Yuriy Andriyovych Kapleta was born on December 3, 1986, in the city of Sokal, Lviv region. He studied at Sokal Secondary School No. 5. He was a participant in the Revolution of Dignity and was on Maidan in Kyiv since December 2013. He took part in the formation of the 10th Self-Defense Hundred of Maidan. He held the position of a squad leader and was responsible for the security of the 1st and 2nd floors of the Trade Union House. He actively participated in the events that took place on Maidan. On February 18, 2014, he was severely beaten by the "Berkut" riot police on Instytutska Street. They caught up with an activist who wanted to help his friend with an eye injury. Yuriy started throwing stones at the "Berkut" officers, and they chased him. While fleeing, the young man stumbled and fell. While Yuriy was lying on the ground, the "Berkut" officers attacked him and beat him until he lost consciousness. He was saved by a military paramedic who showed his SBU veteran ID and covered the beaten man with his body. Later, Yuriy Kapleta received treatment at Sokal Hospital and in the city of Rzeszów in Poland. After completing his treatment, he returned to Sokal. With the start of the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Eastern Ukraine, he became an active volunteer, collecting food and clothing for soldiers and transporting them together with his friends to the combat zone. Eventually, he began military service as part of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade. He was killed on March 8, 2022, near the city of Rubizhne in the Luhansk region. He was buried on February 25, 2024, in his hometown.