Yurii Bredak, call sign “Klever,” a fighter of the special unit “Artan” of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, was killed in action. He was a warrior, a father, an athlete, and a patriot.
In the autumn of 2021, even before the full-scale invasion, Yurii voluntarily signed a contract with the 130th Territorial Defense Battalion. In February 2022, he took up arms to defend the Kyiv region and later fought in some of the fiercest hotspots — in Donetsk, Kherson, Kharkiv, and along the Zaporizhzhia front. He was wounded but, after recovery, returned to his comrades. Sadly, the Hero did not live to see victory — he was killed on June 23, 2025.
Yurii was a renowned athlete — a Master of Sport in rowing and a multiple medalist at Ukrainian championships. He proudly represented the capital at both national and international levels. In 1999, he earned a professional degree in physical education and sport from the National University of Physical Education and Sport of Ukraine.
He dreamed of victory, of peace and quiet, of a future for his two daughters. He wanted to watch them grow up. Yurii ran his own business — installing air conditioners and designing ventilation systems. Above all, he valued family, honest work, and integrity.
Brothers-in-arms recall: “I met him in February 2022, when we started serving in the same unit. Before the full-scale war, he was engaged in sniping in the “Wild Field”, and he and some other guys, more experienced, were made squad leaders. He was a real example: motivated, highly trained. A person you could consult with, always ready to help. He was physically hardened, with good marksmanship and terrain orientation skills. A versatile fighter and a loyal comrade. It was an honor to fight alongside him”.
The people of Irpin paid their last respects with a living corridor on Universytetska Street. On July 7, 2025, in St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral in Kyiv, comrades, relatives, and friends said farewell to the Hero. Yurii was laid to rest at the Alley of Remembrance for the Defenders of Ukraine.
Eternal glory to the Warrior. Bright be his memory.