Vitaliy YEVPAK

Vitaliy Oleksandrovych Yevpak was born in the village of Yurkiivka, Zaporizhia region. He graduated from the local school. In May 2001, he joined the railway family, becoming a driver, and later a gunner, firefighter, and operator of the pumping units of the fire train at the Zaporizhia-Live station of the Dnipro Battalion of the State Guard of the "Ukrzaliznytsia" company. He dedicated 20 years of his life to the railway. Colleagues remember him as a reliable friend and a true professional. He was the soul of the team, always ready to help.

Since November 2020, Vitaliy served under contract in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

He was killed on February 24, 2022, on the first day of the armed aggression by the Russian Federation, while carrying out a fire mission to engage the enemy during an artillery shelling of the battery's firing position in Donetsk region.

As the battery commander recalls, "Vitaliy was a hardworking and responsible serviceman. He could always be relied upon. And on that fateful day—the first day of the full-scale war—thanks, in part, to his personal resilience, we managed to inflict fire damage on the enemy's armored vehicles. Unfortunately, the occupiers continued their advance, and Vitaliy became the first on our list of fallen Heroes..."

By the decree of the President of Ukraine, for personal courage and selfless actions demonstrated in defense of the state sovereignty, Vitaliy Oleksandrovych Yevpak was posthumously awarded the Order of "For Courage" III degree.

We express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. Vitaliy is survived by his wife Alina, daughter Viktoriia, and son Vadym.

The collective of the Dnipro Battalion of the State Guard bows its heads in deep sorrow in memory of the fallen warrior. The bright memory of our brave Hero-colleague will live on forever.