On Thursday, December 18, defender from the Kostopil community Dmytro Labunets is returning home on a shield.
This is reported by Rivne24
Dmytro Labunets was born on February 22, 1977, in Masha. After graduating from Kostopil School No. 2, he entered the Berezne Forestry Technical College, where he obtained a degree as a forestry technician.
He worked as a forester in the Masha Forestry, and later as a machinist at a woodworking enterprise. He spent several years working in the Czech Republic, but returned home in June 2022. After returning, he worked again as a machinist, and in July 2024, he was mobilized. After a short military training, Dmytro’s unit was deployed to Kursk.
Dmytro’s wife, Marina Labunets, recalls: “We understood that sooner or later my husband would go to serve. On September 15, 2024, he informed me that he was going on a combat mission for three days, but he did not return. I tried to contact his comrades, but no one answered. Later, Dmytro’s commander informed me that he was missing in action, yet I still hoped that he had survived.”
Scout of the reconnaissance platoon, soldier Dmytro Labunets, was killed on September 20, 2024, during an artillery shelling and drone strike while carrying out a combat mission near Olhivka in the Kursk region. His body was identified only in November 2025.
Dmytro is survived by his son, wife, parents, sisters, and brother.
Schedule for Farewell to the Hero
The farewell to the hero will take place according to the following schedule:
- 08:00 — the funeral procession will arrive in Kostopil and move through the streets of Pylypa Orlyka – Hrushevskyi.
- 10:30 — liturgy at home (Hrushevskyi St., 178-a).
- 11:00 — funeral service at the St. Michael’s Church.
- 12:00 — citywide farewell at Taras Shevchenko Square.
Dmytro will be buried at the “New” cemetery in Kostopil.