In the village of Ilkovychi in the Sokal community in Lviv region, a Heroes’ Alley has been opened, dedicated to local defenders who were killed while defending Ukraine. The alley features nine commemorative panels with the names and brief details of the fallen soldiers. The opening was attended by representatives of the local authorities, clergy, relatives of the fallen and village residents.
The panels immortalise the names of nine defenders. Among them is Ivan Bashtyk, who stepped forward to defend Ukraine from the first days of the full-scale invasion. He served as a mechanic-driver of a gun in a self-propelled artillery platoon of military unit A3085 and was killed on 13 August 2025 while carrying out a combat mission near the village of Rubizhne in Kharkiv region. The soldier was awarded the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s honorary badge “Golden Cross”.
Heroes’ Alley also honours Ivan Yakubovskyi, a grenadier of the 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade. He was killed on 14 January 2024 while carrying out a combat mission as a result of an enemy drone attack near Maryinka in Donetsk region. He was posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage” 3rd Class, which was presented to his relatives in Sokal in May 2026.
Among the fallen is Yaroslav Mysak, who was killed on 19 October 2022 while carrying out a combat mission near the village of Piatykhatky in Kherson region. For a long time he was considered missing in action, and his body was only returned and identified in autumn 2023.
The panel also commemorates Rostyslav Senchuk, who was killed on 15 December 2022 in battle near the settlement of Kurdiumivka in Bakhmut district of Donetsk region. His family received official confirmation of his death only in June 2026, after DNA testing had been carried out.
A separate panel is dedicated to Pavlo Velhus. In October 2024 he moved from Donetsk region to the village of Skomorokhy, and that same month he joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 47th Separate Mechanised Brigade “Mahura” and was killed on 5 January 2025 in battle near the settlement of Leonidovo in Kursk region of the Russian Federation.
Heroes’ Alley also commemorates Andrii Kostenetskyi, a serviceman of the Cynological Training Centre of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. He was killed on 16 January 2015 while performing his duties in the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone in Donetsk region.
Among the immortalised soldiers is Borys Stepaniuk, a rifleman and assistant grenadier of the airmobile battalion of military unit A2120. He was killed on 16 November 2022 in battle near Bilohorivka in Luhansk region. He was posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage” 3rd Class.
The panels also contain information about Stepan Borys, who served as a rifleman and was killed on 13 November 2023 during an enemy assault near the village of Klishchiivka in Bakhmut district of Donetsk region.
Another panel is dedicated to Roman Mandziak, who served in the armed forces as a master (operator) of unmanned aerial systems. He was killed on 16 January 2026 while carrying out a combat mission in Donetsk region.
Heroes’ Alley in Ilkovychi is intended to preserve the memory of the fallen defenders and to remind community residents of the price of Ukraine’s freedom and independence.