Yaroslav Sobolyev, a brave defender of Ukraine, died while returning from captivity.
“A week before captivity, dad called to say goodbye because the territory was constantly being shelled, phosphorus bombs were being fired. Later, he called for 10 seconds to say he was alive. Then there was no contact with him, and later they informed us that he was captured. During the last conversation, he said: ‘Dear, I love you all so much. Please, take care of yourselves.’ And then silence… silence for 22 months of damned captivity, uncertainty, struggle, faith in the return of father alive. And then, it seemed, on January 24, 2024, I could hear his voice again, but the IL-76 plane was shot down… The list of 65 prisoners of war on board… And my dad’s surname was among them… He was brave and devoted to his country and people, sincere and kind, always ready to help, always trying to believe in the best. He loved life, despite all the difficulties. I love my father very much. This is an unspeakable loss for me and my family,” recalls Sofia, the daughter of the fallen Yaroslav Sobolyev.
Yaroslav was born in Lviv, lived in Yavoriv in the Lviv region. Since 2014, he participated in the ATO, serving in the border forces as a sniper. After finishing his contract, he worked abroad but returned to Ukraine before the start of the full-scale invasion. He underwent training for reservists and on February 24, 2022, he took up the defense of the Motherland.
He fought in the ranks of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo, serving as the chief sergeant. He defended the village of Novooleksandrivka near Popasna in Luhansk region when on March 21, 2022, the Wagnerites surrounded the unit. The defender spent 22 months in captivity.
Unfortunately, Master Sergeant Yaroslav Sobolyev, nickname Sobol, died on January 24, 2024, in the Belgorod region of Russia. On board the IL-76, he was returning home with other Ukrainian prisoners as part of an exchange. The plane was shot down on Russian territory. He was 49 years old.
The Lviv Regional State Administration together with the Heroes’ Memorial Platform honors the memory of fallen defenders from the Lviv region. Eternal honor and glory to the Hero🕊️.