A soldier of the reconnaissance company of the 115th Mechanized Brigade, he fell in Luhansk region, defending his homeland from the invaders, in the third month of Russia’s full-scale assault.
He was only 28. Born in the village of Zaviy in the Kalush region, he had loved sports since childhood — boxing above all. He studied at the Ivano-Frankivsk College of Physical Education and repeatedly won prizes at regional competitions.
In 2012, he completed his compulsory military service in Rubizhne, Luhansk region. After returning home, he worked for the company Goodvalley Ukraine. In 2017, he married his beloved Svitlana. Together, they won the “Four Weddings” TV project and travelled to Egypt on their honeymoon. In 2018, their daughter Alinka was born — her father’s greatest pride and boundless love.
Peaceful life was interrupted by war. When the full-scale invasion began, Ivan was abroad, but he did not hesitate to return — to protect his home, his family, his country. On March 1, he was already back in Ukraine and immediately went to the Kalush Territorial Recruitment Center, from where he was sent for training and then deployed to the front. A sapper, an infantryman, and later a reconnaissance soldier with the call sign “UPA.”
In May 2022, the fighting for Sievierodonetsk grew ferocious. His wife still remembers their last exchange: “On May 10, he wrote that the ninth had been very intense,” Svitlana recalls. “But everyone came back alive. He said they would now rest and prepare for the next mission.”
That next mission was Ivan’s last. On May 11, a group of reconnaissance soldiers was called for reinforcement. They encountered an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group. Ivan took the first shots upon himself, shielding his comrades. His injuries proved fatal.
The Hero found his final rest on May 16, 2022, in the cemetery of his native village of Zaviy.
Blessed be the memory of Ivan Ilkiv. Eternal honor and deepest respect.