On May 12, 2025, at the Mechnikov Hospital in Dnipro, the heart of a brave warrior, a son of the Kalush community in Ivano-Frankivsk region — Oleh Zavadetskyi — stopped beating. He sustained fatal wounds in battle with Russian occupiers on the Kramatorsk front.
Oleh was born on November 26, 1986, in the village of Tuzhiliv in Prykarpattia. Later, his family moved to the village of Holyn. From early childhood, he stood out among his peers with his joyfulness, his ability to see the world in bright colors, his gift for friendship, and his natural talent for leadership. At school, he was remembered as a leader — energetic, determined, and hungry for victory.
Sports were his element. He became a regional football champion, won silver at youth championships, and secured the championship title in Kalush district. For him, the game was never just competition; it was a way to prove that nothing was impossible.
After finishing school, Oleh was drafted for military service. At the Desna Training Center in Chernihiv region, he acquired his first military skills while continuing his athletic path, playing for the army team “Zirka.” He completed his service with the rank of junior sergeant.
When Russia annexed Crimea and unleashed war in the east in 2014, Oleh could not stand aside. He joined the 80th Air Assault Brigade and endured some of the fiercest battles of the war. After being wounded, he returned home, but with the start of the full-scale invasion, he once again took up arms — this time with the 63rd Mechanized Brigade.
He defended the southern front and fought on the Bakhmut axis. Oleh Zavadetskyi was decorated by the Southern Operational Command for his role in the liberation of Kherson region.
He knew how to lead others — just as he once did on the football field, where from the very first minutes he fought relentlessly for victory.
Eternal memory to the Hero!