Tomorrow, October 3, at 10:00 AM, a farewell ceremony for the Defenders of Ukraine – Vitaliy Yankovsky and Dmytro Kurashyk – will take place at Independence Square in Rivne. The memorial service will be held at the Holy Protection Cathedral, and the burial of the servicemen will occur at the Alley of Heroes.
This is reported by Rivne24
Vitaliy Yankovsky, born on October 27, 1974, in Kazakhstan, spent his childhood in Russia, where he completed school. After that, he studied at the Kursk and Volyn Spiritual Seminaries and served as a priest at the Lutsk Cathedral. He completed his postgraduate studies at the Spiritual Academy in Lviv and worked as a lecturer at the Volyn Spiritual Seminary.
Despite the Russian-speaking environment, Vitaliy always felt like a Ukrainian. He often visited Rivne region during summer vacations, where his grandparents lived.
Lacking military experience, Vitaliy expressed his desire to defend his country from the very first days of the full-scale invasion. He was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine in July 2024, where he became a miner and trained new fighters while stationed in hot spots on the front line, particularly in Pokrovsk.
According to his loved ones, Vitaliy was an intelligent person, always ready to help. Two years ago, he suffered the loss of his wife, and he is survived by his mother and 27-year-old son.
Unfortunately, Vitaliy Yankovsky was killed on September 28, 2025, as a result of enemy artillery shelling in Donetsk region.
Dmytro Kurashyk, born on August 4, 1987, in Chita (Russia), moved to Rivne with his family at the age of four and studied at School No. 19. He later trained as a welder.
Most of his life, Dmytro dedicated to military service, signing a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2008. He also participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) in 2015.
Comrades described Dmytro as a reliable friend and a responsible person, always ready to lend a hand. He enjoyed fishing and loved mushroom picking.
Unfortunately, the life of the senior soldier was cut short on October 2 during his leave due to ischemic heart disease. Dmytro is survived by his wife, 12-year-old son, father, and sister.