"MOTOGON"

Born on December 20, 2002, in the city of Zaporizhzhia, where he lived all his 22 years. His name was Vladyslav Stepanenko; in December, he turned 22. He spent his entire conscious life in the military, choosing the profession of a serviceman while still at school. In 2021, he signed a contract with the National Guard of Ukraine. He had been on the front line since 2021. He received combat veteran status in the course of carrying out tasks to ensure national security and defense, and to repel and deter the armed aggression of the Russian Federation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. His path led from rifleman and sapper to Aviation mechanic-sapper (UAV operator). He was killed near Velyka Novosilka on February 21, 2025, as a result of an enemy drone strike. He sustained severe injuries incompatible with life. My name is Inna, and I was Vladyslav’s girlfriend: He was an incredible person—a devoted, selfless, and brave man. There will never be another like him. We constantly dreamed together about the future and what we would do after the war ended. Recently, we had been thinking about getting a dog, but it was not meant to be. His brother-in-arms brought me Jessie, a husky they found in the Donetsk region. I took her home to the Rivne region. Vlad adored her and was always taking photos of her—just like he did of the other dogs and cats in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions where he served from 2022. (He loved everyone—he even played with a little mouse in a dugout.) He received combat veteran status in October 2021. He was awarded the distinction “Dignity, Trust, Respect.”