On Saturday, 13 July, Lviv will say goodbye to three soldiers. Viktor Komarnitsky, Oleksandr Shemchuk, and Yuriy Pauk were killed by Russian occupiers while defending Ukraine.
Lviv City Hall calls on Lviv residents and guests to join the city’s farewell ceremony and refrain from holding entertainment events and celebrations during this time.
Viktor Komarnitsky will be buried at 15:00 at Lychakiv Cemetery. Prior to that, the defender will be commemorated in the town of Sambir and the town of Khyriv, Sambir district.
The funeral service for Oleksandr Shemchuk and Yuriy Pauk will begin at 15:00 in the Garrison Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul. Peter and Paul, at 15:30 a city farewell ceremony will be held on Rynok Square. The defenders will be buried at Lychakiv Cemetery.
Biographical information about the defenders
Viktor Komarnitskyi (16.10.1968-06.07.2024) was a resident of Vinnytsia.
He studied at the local secondary school №13. He graduated from the State Educational Institution “Higher Vocational School No. 7 in Vinnytsia”. Vinnytsia”.
In 1986-1990, he served with the 39th separate airborne assault brigade in Khyriv, Lviv region.
He studied at the “warrant officer school” in Gaižunai (Lithuania), and also took part in hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Since 1991, he served first in the 224th Training Centre of the Airborne Forces, and then in the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade.
After returning to civilian life in 1999, he began to engage in industrial mountaineering abroad, and later in Lviv and Vinnytsia regions. He was exceptionally loyal to the airborne troops and made about 1000 parachute jumps during his life. His motto in life was “No one but us!”.
From the very first days of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, he voluntarily defended the state from the Russian occupiers. At first, he served in the Khmelnytskyi region, then defended the sovereignty of the state in the Kharkiv direction as part of the 13th separate battalion of the Western Operational and Territorial Unit of the National Guard of Ukraine.
Viktor Komarnitskyi is survived by his mother, wife, three children and two granddaughters.
Oleksandr Shemchuk (21.04.1981-09.07.2024) was born in the town of Vasylkiv, Kyiv region.
He studied at a local secondary school. He graduated from the Chernihiv Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots, then studied at the Kyiv Institute of the Air Force and the Kharkiv National Air Force University named after Ivan Kozhedub. He served in the 12th separate brigade of the Viktor Pavlenko Army Aviation Brigade of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
After completing his service in 2011, he took up the position of design engineer at Comfortbud Design Institute Limited Liability Company.
In 2014-2015, he performed combat missions in the anti-terrorist operation zone.
After returning to civilian life, he worked as a private engineer. He sincerely believed in God and was a minister at the Source of Life Evangelical Christian Church in Lviv. He was an exceptionally kind man and was distinguished by his extraordinary cheerfulness. In his spare time, he was fond of making woodwork.
From the first days of the full-scale invasion of Russia, he voluntarily returned to the ranks of the 12th separate brigade of the army aviation named after Viktor Pavlenko. He performed tasks to protect the state in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Poltava regions.
He was awarded numerous decorations for his personal courage, including the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, III class.
Oleksandr Shemchuk is survived by his parents, wife and two children.
Yurii Pauk (23.08.1980-11.07.2024) was born in the village of Rychahiv, Lviv region.
He studied at the secondary school №30 in Lviv. Lviv. Later he received a vocational education. He served in the former internal troops in Odesa region.
After completing his service, he worked in the leather industry. In his spare time, he was fond of growing crops.
With the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, he stood up to defend his homeland from the occupiers. He performed combat missions to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state as part of the 25th separate airborne Sicheslavska brigade of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He fought against the occupiers in Donetsk region.
Yurii Pauk is survived by his parents, wife, two children, sister and brother.