In Drohobych, a citywide farewell was held on Rynok Square for the fallen defender Yurii Zabitko. The serviceman was killed on 17 August 2026 while carrying out a combat mission in the Sumy region.
Yurii Zabitko was born on 15 June 1987 in Drohobych. He studied at local Secondary School No. 1 and later qualified at the Lviv Veterinary Academy. His relatives recall that, as a child, he served at the altar in church and sang in the church choir.
After graduating from university, Yurii worked in building hypermarkets in Truskavets, Drohobych and Lviv. He lived in Drohobych on Parkova Street.
In June 2024, he voluntarily joined the ranks of the Defence Forces of Ukraine. He served as a rifleman in the 1st rifle squad of the 3rd rifle platoon of the 8th rifle company of the 3rd Territorial Defence Battalion, military unit A7034, passed through several “hot” sectors of the front and took part in combat operations on the front line.
The fallen defender is survived by his mother, his brother, and his brother’s wife with their two daughters.
The funeral service was held in the Church of the Ascension of Our Lord. After the requiem service, a citywide farewell for the soldier took place on Rynok Square. Yurii Zabitko was laid to rest in the cemetery on Pylypa Orlyka Street in Drohobych.
The community honoured the memory of the warrior who gave his life defending Ukraine.