A warrior and an athlete, a gunner of the assault battalion of military unit A7788 with the call sign “Chornyi.” Roman Melnyk was born on 10 February 1988 in Ivano-Frankivsk region.
He was the only child in his family. He grew up an exceptionally curious, outgoing, and cheerful boy who loved animals. After completing the ninth grade, he entered the Kalush Chemical and Technological College.
While still a student, he became passionate about weightlifting. Later, he trained seriously in boxing and became a prizewinner of the Ivano-Frankivsk regional boxing championships. Another of his passions was hiking in the mountains.
His classmate and close friend, Andriy Zelenyak, recalls: “Roman was an extraordinary person endowed with all the finest human qualities. He had a sharp sense of humor and always smiled. He loved sports and led a healthy lifestyle.”
He continued his education at the Lviv Polytechnic National University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree. He worked at Karpatnaftokhim and also traveled to Italy for employment. He mastered modern drilling equipment and planned to pursue drilling work in Ukraine as well. But the war shattered all his plans.
Roman joined the fighters of the 78th Special Purpose Regiment “Herts.” He served as a gunner in the 2nd Assault Squad of the 1st Assault Platoon of the 3rd Assault Company of the 1st Assault Battalion of military unit A7788. He took part in battles across Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
His commander, Serhii, recalls: “During combat missions, Roma was an impeccable soldier. He could control his emotions, was patient, highly motivated, and constantly worked on self-improvement.”
Roman embarked on his final mission on 8 July. The Hero was fatally wounded after hitting a mine together with his comrades near the village of Mala Tokmachka in the Polohy district of Zaporizhzhia region. For twenty-two days, the courageous warrior fought for his life. Roman bravely agreed to undergo arm amputation at the Zaporizhzhia Regional Clinical Hospital. He was later evacuated by helicopter to the Main Military Clinical Hospital in Kyiv. He survived a leg amputation as well, but could not be saved. The Defender’s life ended on the evening of 30 July 2023.
The Hero found his final rest on 2 August in the cemetery of his native village, Kropyvnyk.
He was awarded the Order “For Courage,” Third Class, the Honorary Badge “Golden Cross” of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi, and the medal “For Military Valor.” He was also granted the title of “Honorary Citizen of the Kalush Municipal Territorial Community.”