On Friday, 28 August, Lviv will bid farewell to three servicemen who were killed defending Ukraine from the Russian occupiers – Viktor Shcherbyna, Vadym Kachmar and Andrii Bereziak. The city authorities are calling on Lviv residents and visitors to join the ceremony and to refrain at this time from entertainment events and celebrations.
The funeral service will begin at 11:00 at the Garrison Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. At around 11:30, a citywide farewell ceremony is planned on Rynok Square. The soldiers will be laid to rest at Lychakiv Cemetery, in the Field of Honourable Burials No. 87 on Pasichna Street.
Andrii Bereziak (21.03.1980 — 15.07.2026) was a native of Lviv. He studied at Gymnasium No. 1 of the Sheptytskyi City Council and later graduated from the Lviv Polytechnic National University with a degree in Quality, Standardisation and Certification, obtaining a master’s qualification in quality management. He worked as deputy head of the testing laboratory at the state enterprise Research Institute of Metrology of Measuring and Control Systems.
His family remember Andrii as a kind, sincere, responsible and caring person, a devoted family man for whom his daughter meant the world. He loved cooking and looking after his loved ones. In 2023 he took up arms to defend Ukraine, fighting in the Donetsk sector with the 24th Separate Mechanised Brigade named after King Danylo of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was awarded the Order For Courage, 3rd Class, the honorary badges of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Cross of the Brave and Golden Cross, the decorations of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine For Wounds and To a Defender of Ukraine, as well as the medal To an Unbreakable Defender of Ukraine. Andrii Bereziak is survived by his wife, daughter, parents, brother, godmother and other relatives.
Vadym Kachmar (27.11.1979 — 03.08.2026) was also born in Lviv. He studied at Secondary Comprehensive School I–III Levels No. 49 in Lviv and later obtained a higher education at Lviv University of Trade and Economics. He worked as a driver-courier delivering building materials at the limited liability company “Merezha mahazyniv “Dnipro-M””.
According to his family, Vadym was a kind, cheerful, educated and sociable person. He was passionate about sport, especially athletics, held the title of Candidate for Master of Sport, was a runner and repeatedly took prize places in competitions. He loved learning, was interested in mathematics and physics, and took part in subject Olympiads. In 2024 he joined the ranks of Ukraine’s defenders, safeguarding its territorial integrity and sovereignty in the Donetsk sector with the 54th Separate Mechanised Brigade named after Hetman Ivan Mazepa of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Vadym Kachmar is survived by his mother, brother, sister and other relatives.
Viktor Shcherbyna (22.06.1979 — 19.08.2026) came from the village of Dobrovillya in Dnipropetrovsk region. He studied at Dobrovillya Gymnasium of the Dubovykivka Village Council in Synelnykove district and later qualified as a driver at a vocational education institution in Dnipropetrovsk region. He completed compulsory military service and worked as a driver in private companies.
His family say that Viktor was exceptionally kind, sincere and cheerful, distinguished by his openness, sense of humour and constant readiness to help. He is described as a responsible, reliable, hard-working and skilled man with “golden hands”. He loved nature, travelling, fishing, music and dancing, and cherished time spent with family and friends.
With the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Viktor took up the defence of Ukraine. He served in the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk sectors with the 23rd Separate Mechanised Brigade of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was awarded the Order For Courage, 3rd Class, the honorary badge of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Golden Cross, the medals For Resilience and Bravery and For the Defence of the Native State, as well as the medal For Wounds, a departmental decoration of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. Viktor Shcherbyna is survived by his wife, son and daughter.