He had every right to be on rehabilitation, but he chose to serve and gave his life for Ukraine. Powerlifter Yaroslav Khybovskyi died in the war against the Russian invaders.
He was born on December 28, 1998, in the village of Mykolayivka, Vinnytsia region. While in 5th grade, he began powerlifting. His mother initially discouraged him, asking him not to lift heavy weights, but Yaroslav didn’t listen and kept training. Thanks to his perseverance and love for the sport, he achieved significant success. Friends remember him for his phenomenal results: he became the champion of Ukraine, never lost a national junior championship, set six Ukrainian records, was part of the national team, and earned the title of Master of Sport. At 18, he could squat with 210 kilograms, weighing only 74 kilograms. His bench press was 165 kg, and his deadlift was 225 kg.
After school, he enrolled at the Bratslav Agricultural College, then continued his studies at the Uman Pedagogical University. His teammate from the national team says that Yaroslav consciously sacrificed his sports career and chose to defend Ukraine. In 2019, he signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and became a participant in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO).
From the first days of the full-scale Russian invasion, he fought as part of the 59th Brigade, 9th Separate Mechanized Infantry Battalion “Vinnytsia Scythians.” In the summer of 2022, he was injured for the first time, but just 30 days later, he decided to return to the front, although his rehabilitation should have lasted twice as long. A month and a half before his death, he was wounded by shrapnel. Once again, not waiting for the end of his rehabilitation, he went back to the front. He said he couldn’t rest while his comrades were dying there.
Unfortunately, on December 5, 2022, during an assault near the village of Netaylove in Donetsk Oblast, the life of 23-year-old soldier Yaroslav Khybovskyi was cut short.
At home, his mother and sister were waiting for him…