Mourning ceremonies were held in the Drohobych community to mark the return and farewell to two fallen defenders of Ukraine who had long been considered missing in action. The bodies of Drohobych resident Pavlo Nesterovych and Roman Babyak, a resident of the village of Derezhychi, were brought back to their native land.
The corteges bearing the servicemen’s bodies were met at the Heroes’ Crossroads. There, clergy together with relatives, comrades-in-arms and community residents prayed for the fallen. After a short prayer, the funeral processions moved to the central Rynok Square, where a citywide farewell took place. People knelt, honouring the memory of the soldiers in a common prayer.
The funeral rite for Pavlo Nesterovych then continued in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. He will be laid to rest on the Avenue of Glory. The cortege with the body of Roman Babyak proceeded to Derezhychi, where the funeral service will be held in the Church of the Holy Trinity, after which the soldier will also be buried in his native village.
Pavlo Nesterovych took up arms to defend Ukraine in April 2024. He served as assistant grenadier in the 2nd squad of the 2nd rifle platoon of the (reserve) rifle company. On 8 October 2025, while carrying out a combat mission near the settlement of Novoeconomichne in Donetsk region, the soldier went missing in action. According to preliminary information, this happened as a result of a strike by an enemy drone. Only now has his death been officially confirmed and his body been able to be brought home. The fallen defender is survived by his parents and a sister with her family.
Roman Babyak joined Ukraine’s defence forces in March 2023. From the very start of his service he was on the front line, passing through the hottest sectors of the front. He held the rank of senior lieutenant in the rifle battalion of military unit A7045. After being wounded and undergoing treatment, he returned once again to combat. From 16 January 2025, during assault operations in the Toretsk area of Bakhmut district, Donetsk region, contact with the serviceman was lost, and since then he had been considered missing in action. His death has now been officially confirmed, and the soldier’s body has been returned for farewell and burial. Roman Babyak is survived by his parents and a brother with his family.
The Drohobych community extends its condolences to the families and loved ones of the fallen defenders and honours their sacrifice in the struggle for Ukraine’s independence.