“KELT”

In the summer of 2020, Andrii signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and joined the 95th Brigade. He met the full-scale invasion near Horlivka in Donetsk region. He was among the first to undergo training in Poland with instructors from the United Kingdom, and afterwards used the Martlet man-portable air defense missile system in combat — a modification of Starstreak. With it, he became the most effective air-defense gunner in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, shooting down 16 “Orlan-10” drones, one “Zala” UAV, and an enemy Ka-52 helicopter. During the full-scale invasion, he was wounded twice, and after treatment he returned to the front. Andrii was an active volunteer, loved animals, and was involved in a healthy lifestyle movement. During his student years, he headed a local branch of the “Natsionalnyi Korpus”. He studied forestry at the Zhytomyr Agro University. By religion, he was a pagan. Andrii was a patriot and a nationalist. He was killed after Russian forces shelled the positions of Ukrainian soldiers. He was a full кавалер of the Order “For Courage”. He was killed on 28 April 2023. A farewell ceremony for Andrii took place on 1 May at the Alley of Glory at Smolianske Cemetery in the city of Zhytomyr. He is survived by his wife, parents, and sisters.