Dmytro Hutsalenko, a Candidate Master of Sport in orienteering, was killed in action in the war against Russian invaders. His death has resonated with profound grief throughout Ukraine’s sporting community.
The soldier’s life was cut short on 10 March 2026 during a battle near the village of Lyubytske in the Zaporizhzhia region. Dmytro served as a senior sergeant and commander of an evacuation platoon in a repair and recovery battalion. He was 45.
A native of Volyn, Dmytro was a graduate of Lutsk National Technical University, where he studied at the Faculty of Computer and Information Technologies.
The Ukrainian Orienteering Federation expressed its deepest condolences to his wife, Tetiana, as well as to his family, friends, and brothers-in-arms.
A farewell ceremony for the defender took place on 19 March 2026 in Lutsk, at the Holy Trinity Cathedral.
He will forever remain in memory as a son, brother, friend, and defender of Ukraine—a man of honor and courage.
Eternal memory to the Hero.