Identity of Ukrainian defender executed by Russians re-established

The relevant statement was made by the North Regional Department of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“On March 6, 2023, another evidence of Russian war crimes was posted on the social media. The whole of Ukraine saw the execution of the Ukrainian defender, warrior from the 163rd Battalion of the 119th Separate Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces in the Chernihiv region. The video of the heroic death of Oleksandr Matsievskyi went viral within a day and left no one indifferent,” the report states.

According to the data from the North Regional Department of the Territorial Defense Forces, on December 30, 2022, on the outskirts of Soledar, Matsievskyi and four other servicemen engaged in counter-battle with the prevailing enemy forces. Around 12:00 (noon) visual contact and communication with them interrupted. Reinforcements were unable to get to their position due to continuous mortar shelling and extensive fire from small arms.

The details of the battle are remaining unclear. No witnesses have left, as all of them are either dead or missing. But, Matsievskyi’s mother, son Mykhailo and fellow servicemen recognized him in the footage.

According to the military, the bodies of the defenders were returned to the Ukrainian side after a while. On February 14, 2023, Matsievskyi’s funeral took place in Nizhyn.

A reminder that, on March 7, 2023, the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that, according to the preliminary data, the Ukrainian soldier executed by Russians was Tymofii Shadura, a serviceman from the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade.