A farewell and funeral were held in Truskavets for Armed Forces of Ukraine soldier Vadym Yuriiovych Hladush, who was killed on 14 December 2023 in the Donetsk region at the age of 38. Only now, after lengthy court proceedings and the processing of documents, has his father been able to bury his son.
Vadym Hladush was born on 10 December 1985 in Vinnytsia. He lived in his home city until the age of eight, after which the family moved to Dnipro, where his father comes from. In Dnipro he grew up, studied and entered adulthood. He did his compulsory military service in Kamianets-Podilskyi, and later returned to Dnipro.
After his service, Vadym entered Dnipro University, enrolling at the Faculty of Philology to study Ukrainian Language and Literature. At the time the full-scale invasion began, he was in Vinnytsia region, where his mother, who had already passed away by then, came from.
Like many other men, Vadym took up arms to defend Ukraine. He served as a private in the 38th Separate Rifle Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, “Angels of Vinnychyna”, formed in Vinnytsia region. He planned to transfer to the “Azov” unit, but, according to his father, the battalion commander did not give permission.
The soldier fought in the Donetsk sector, in particular in the area of the Serebrianske forestry and near Kramatorsk. His last battle took place on 14 December 2023 at the “Vuyko” position near the village of Terny outside Kramatorsk. Only ten soldiers from the company managed to get out alive; another fourteen are considered missing in action. For some time, Vadym was also listed among this group.
According to comrades-in-arms who survived, during the battle the enemy launched intense assaults on the positions of the Ukrainian defenders, using various weapons. A grenade hit the trench where Vadym and his comrade were positioned. His comrade lost an arm, while Vadym sustained even more severe wounds and, losing blood, was unable to withdraw from the positions together with the others. He covered the retreat of his brothers-in-arms, remaining among the dead and wounded soldiers.
Due to the heavy fighting, it was impossible to evacuate the body of the fallen soldier immediately. Although his comrades reported Vadym’s death, legal confirmation of his killing was delayed. His father had to spend more than two years seeking official recognition of the fact of death in court and going through procedures with military authorities. The military unit even lodged an appeal against the court decision that recognised the fact of his death. Only now has the father been able to organise the burial of his only son.
The farewell ceremony for Vadym Hladush took place on 18 September on a gloomy autumn day. Although Truskavets was not his home city, this is where his father now lives, having moved here like many other families who left regions affected by active hostilities. In the soil of Truskavets, the soldier has found his final resting place.
First, at the Heroes’ Crossroads, priests of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, led by Dean Father Ihor Pulyk and Chaplain Father Andrii Bezushko, offered a short prayer. The funeral service then continued at the Annunciation Church in Truskavets. Clergy from Drohobych, Sambir and Dobrohstv also took part.
At the farewell were the parents and wives of other fallen soldiers, families of the missing, veterans, as well as relatives of those currently serving on the front line. Words of spiritual support were spoken to them, along with prayers for the fallen defender.
Vadym’s father gives thanks that he has lived to see the day he could bury his son, for, according to those present at the farewell, the fallen soldier has no other close relatives apart from him. Vadym Hladush’s grave in Truskavets will now serve as a reminder of the price Ukraine’s defenders pay for the country’s freedom and independence.