Killed in the fighting for Kiev: today we honor the memory of the brave guards
Today we honor the memory of the National Guardsmen who died 2 years ago in Guti-Mezhyhirskaya.
In the spring of 2022, fierce battles for Kiev continued. In this direction, the Russians threw huge reserves of manpower, weapons and equipment. Near the village of Huta-Mezhyhirska, 10 kilometers from the northwestern outskirts of Kiev, the enemy tried to break through our defenses.
On March 6, the National Guard took up positions near the village to prevent the invaders from crossing the Irpin River and bypassing the village of Moshun from the right flank. On March 12, the enemy planned a breakthrough.
Shelled positions of Ukrainian soldiers with artillery, tanks, BMP and launched an attack from the sky. Six fighters of the National Guard of Ukraine were killed during repeated shelling from bursts of unguided air missiles launched by the enemy from helicopters: Captain Serhiy Dobronravov, Lieutenant Vladislav Telytsya, Master Sergeant Oleksiy Kuzmenko, Senior Soldier Sergey Onoshenko, senior soldier Miroslav Logvinov, soldier Denis Dezhkin.
Lieutenant Colonel of the Brigade “Rubizh” Bohdan Leshchyshyn led the armored group. Its task was to regain the position lost during the shelling and not to miss the enemy further. The Russians were firing hard at that area, and the commander decided to mislead them.
Bohdan Leshchyshyn changed the route of movement, determined convenient firing positions for his subordinates, in order to provide cover for the main columns of comrades from the 72nd Brigade of the Armed Forces and to give armed resistance to the occupiers. Already in the first minutes of the battle, three Russian BMPs and about a platoon of Russian infantry were destroyed. The occupiers opened fire in return. Lieutenant Colonel Leshchyshyn received a shrapnel wound in the thigh from another enemy shell and blunt trauma. However, he refused to evacuate and continued to command and direct fire on the enemy.
In that brutal battle, a unit of the Gostomel guards resisted the invasion of the horde, which at times outnumbered them. Subsequently, their positions were covered by volleys of enemy “Grad”. Lieutenant Colonel Leshchyshyn received new wounds and, despite the pain of the last forces, tried to keep control of the situation. He aimed to save his people and cut off the forces of the invaders. The officer was a real fighter and died as a warrior while attempting to evacuate him on the battlefield.
For personal courage and heroism, manifested in the defense of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, selfless service to the Ukrainian people, Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 275/2022 dated April 25, 2022, Lieutenant Colonel Leshchyshyn Bohdan Grigorovich was awarded the title Hero of Ukraine with dignity Order of the Golden Star (posthumously).
Eternal glory to the heroes. We will never forget!
National Guard of Ukraine
