“At 5:30 in the morning… My son Yurko was killed during the battle… Yesterday’s photo… the last one…” – This message father posted on social media on 28 July 2023 to inform everyone about the death of his son Yurii Koretskyi, a Ukrainian athlete and defender who gave his life for Ukraine.
Yurii was born on 16 October 1993 in Kovel, Volyn region. Since childhood, he has been interested in sports – he went in for karate, football and martial arts. He was a winner of the Spartakiad, national and regional kickboxing championships. He held the title of candidate for master of sports. Another of his hobbies in life was airsoft. Together with his friends, they formed a team and played in competitions.
After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, Yurii stood up to defend Ukraine. He served as a gunner of a machine gun platoon. He courageously defended his homeland from the invaders until his last breath. On 28 July, 2023, 29-year-old Yurii Koretskyi was killed during a combat operation near the village of Torske, Donetsk region… In early June 2023, the Hero was nominated for a state award, but he will never get a chance to receive it anymore. On 14 March 2024, his little 4-year-old daughter Maria received the Order “For Courage” of the third class instead of him…