Senior Lieutenant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Soldier of the 79th Separate Air Assault Brigade. He was born in Lviv on November 9, 1982.
In 2014, he went east—into the lands where Ukrainian soil groaned under the tracks of enemy vehicles and the thunder of hostile shells. He was seriously wounded at Bravo Height near Maryinka in Donetsk region. That strategic point, held heroically in the summer of 2014 by paratroopers under the command of the officer known by the call sign “Bravo”— Semen Koleynyk — was surrounded, with the defenders enduring continuous fire. For his personal courage and heroism, Dmytro Oliynyk was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, III Class.
After hospitals and rehabilitation, Dmytro turned to veteran sports, a way to feel strong, alive, and needed once again.
In 2021, Dmytro Oliynyk joined Ukraine’s first national team for the Warrior Games — an international competition for wounded service members and veterans. Representing Mykolaiv region as part of Warrior Games Team Ukraine, he won a silver medal in rowing on the ergometer, covering 337 meters per minute. He also earned a bronze medal in running. Due to quarantine restrictions, the Ukrainian team could not attend the in-person events, and Dmytro achieved his medals remotely. He was preparing to compete in the 2023 Warrior Games. He planned to live. He planned to win.
On February 24, 2022, war returned to every home. Dmytro once again took up arms, joining the ranks of the Mykolaiv Territorial Defense. Veteran, athlete, officer — he sought no excuses and did not hide behind past wounds. His experience, endurance, and athletic discipline became a vital part of the city’s defense.
On March 29, 2022, a Russian missile struck the building of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration. Dmytro Oliynyk died beneath its rubble.
Eternal memory to the warrior and athlete.