Shot by Russia: policeman Yuri Chabakh was recognized by a token in the mass grave of Bucha
More than half of the life of policeman Yuri Chabakh was spent in the city of Bucha in the Kiev region. Here he went to chess and football, graduated from school, met his soul mate and built a happy life. In Bucha, the husband spent his last days. He was killed by Russian occupiers in March 2022 on one of his native streets.
On the day of the full-scale invasion, February 24, 2022, Yuri was on duty at the police station. From the first days, the man witnessed the brutal shelling of civilian objects by the Russians, so he decided for himself that he would defend his hometown.
“Our son was determined to fight and defend. He even tried to create a resistance movement among the neighbors, because he understood that sooner or later the occupiers would be near the family house,” recalls father Alexander Chabakh.
Yuriy knew what he was going for, so he left his phone and documents at home, took only a company car and weapons, and joined the Bucha terrorist group. His parents no longer saw or heard him, because all communication communications were destroyed, and fighting and chaotic shelling by the Russian invaders took place in the city.
“I was all waiting for him on March 9 at home because it's my birthday. I knew what the situation was, but I so wanted him to come,” Yuri's father says with tears in his eyes.
Colleagues and relatives, having lost any connection with Yuriy Chabakh, hoped that he would leave with the terrorist in Boyark or be able to escape to the capital. Instead, there was no news about the policeman even after the de-occupation of Kyiv region.
The first news about the fate of Yuri Chabakh appeared on April 10, 2022. In the photo, the head of the police department No. 2 Vyacheslav Tsilyryk recognized his colleague by the result and clothes. The body of Yuri Chabakh was exhumed from the mass grave, which was located near the church of Andrew the First-Called in the city of Bucha.
Parents who lost their only son were also left without a family home with memories of their lives. At the beginning of the invasion and occupation of Bucha, an enemy rocket hit Chabakhov's house, which destroyed it.
“I did not have time to save anything: neither photos of my son, nor food. Now we live in a modular house,” Alexander Chabakh points to the vacant lot where their home once stood.
Now, in the policeman's hometown, one of the streets has been renamed after him. During his life, Yuri Chabakh did not have time to get the title of captain, but he dreamed of it very much. He received it posthumously, and the shoulder straps were taken away by his parents who were overwhelmed by the loss.
The story of the law enforcement officer from Bucha Yuriy Chabakh can be found in the project “Shot by Russia” from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
Department of Communications of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
