The first victim of a full-scale invasion is border guard Denis Tkach
On the morning of February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation began a large-scale invasion of the territory of our state. At 4 in the morning, the first explosions from enemy missiles were heard over Ukraine, and Russian troops began to enter from all sides of our country. One of the first battles was received by the servicemen of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. On the occasion of the second anniversary of resistance to Russian aggression, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine within the framework of the project “Shot by Russia” honors the memory of the first victim of a full-scale invasion - the border guard of the Luhansk detachment Denis Tkach.
Denis Tkach was born and raised in the border village of Nikolskoye, Luhansk region. He decided to become a border guard in 2007 and at the same time joined the ranks of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
On the eve of February 24, 2022, her husband was almost absent from home, said his wife Oksana:
“They had a lot of training in February, extraordinary visits to the service, so we spent almost no time with Denis for a whole month.”
On the night of February 24, Denis and his brothers were on duty at the border near the village. Zorynivka, Luhansk region. Before going to rest, Denis talked on the phone with his wife for two hours, because they were preparing for their daughter's second birthday.
“There was no anxiety in his words. We did not believe in the invasion, we could not imagine that in the morning Russian tanks would stand under the windows,” Oksana recalls.
February 24, 2022 for Oksana began with the strong crying of little Donna, whom she could not calm down. In parallel with it, the sounds of heavy equipment traveling somewhere nearby were heard. At 4 o'clock in the morning and from that moment the life of this family changed forever.
“I called my husband and he didn't answer. My heart is clear that he is not there,” the wife of the border guard shared with tears in her eyes.
At 3:40 on the border with Russia, Ukrainian border guards noticed an armed group of people moving towards the state border. Denis, as the senior of the group, without receiving the algorithm of actions from the commander, ordered everyone to move away. This was told by Artem Umanets — brother of Denis Tkach, who was with him on that fierce night.
“There were five of us. We started to move away from the positions, and Denis said that he would follow us. As soon as I started to run, there were sounds of small arms,” recalls border guard Artem Umanets.
An armed DRG group killed Denis Tkach. His body was found on the morning of February 24 at a checkpoint already occupied by the Russians. Oksana's wife managed to get to the murder scene, pick up Denis' body and bury him in his native village.
The commander and several brothers went to the side of the occupiers, and Oksana with her children after six months of occupation left for Volyn region — to the city of Vladimir.
Now the woman dreams of victory and liberation of her native Luhansk region, in order to rebury her husband and honor the memory of the warrior with dignity. The story of the first victim of a full-scale invasion, Denis Tkach, can be found in the project “Shot by Russia” by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
With this publication at 3:40 a.m., the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine honors the memory of all those killed as a result of Russia's large-scale aggression on the territory of Ukraine.
Department of Communications of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
