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Dmytro Ivanovych "Da Vinci" Kotsiubailo (Ukrainian: Дмитро Іванович "Да Вінчі" Коцюбайло; 1 November 1995 – 7 March 2023) was a Ukrainian volunteer, soldier, lieutenant, a commander of the 1st Mechanized Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was a participant in the Russo-Ukrainian War. Kotsiubailo was the youngest battalion commander in the history of the Ukrainian Army. He served as a leader of the right-wing Right Sector movement.[1][2]
Dmytro Kotsiubailo Дмитро Коцюбайло | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname(s) | Da Vinci |
| Born | 1 November 1995 Zadnistrianske, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine |
| Died | 7 March 2023 (aged 27) Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine |
| Allegiance | Ukrainian Armed Forces |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Commands | 1st Mechanized Battalion |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards |   _ribbon_bar.svg){kind=small} |
In December 2021 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded Kotsiubailo the Hero of Ukraine Ukraine decoration, the country's highest honour.[3] In 2022, he was included in the 30 under 30: Faces of the Future rating by Forbes.[4]
Early life
editDmytro Kotsiubailo was born on 1 November 1995 in the village of Zadnistrianske, now Burshtyn community, Ivano-Frankivsk Raion, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine. He graduated from Bovshivka Secondary School and Ivano-Frankivsk Art Lyceum.
Ukrainian resistance
editHe was an active participant in the 2014 Revolution of Dignity. He fought in the Russo-Ukrainian War, as a platoon commander of volunteers in 2014, and as a company commander in 2015. In 2014, he was wounded in Pisky, Donetsk Oblast, and returned to the front after recovery. On 17 March 2016, he had served as a captain of an ultra-nationalist volunteer battalion known as the “Right Sector" and led the 1st Mechanized Battalion "Da Vinci Wolves", but never joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine.[5][dubious – discuss]
Death and legacy
editOn 7 March 2023, Kotsiubailo was killed. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his video address: "Today, 'Da Vinci', a Hero of Ukraine, a volunteer, a man-symbol, a man of courage, Dmytro Kotsiubailo, was killed in action. A fighter of the 67th separate mechanized brigade, a commander. He died in the battle near Bakhmut, in the battle for Ukraine".[6] Dmytro was buried at Askold's Grave.[7]
On 20 December 2023 the Dnipro City Council renamed a part of Dnipro's central avenue Dmytro Kotsiubailo Avenue in honor of Kotsiubailo.[8]
On 18 January 2024 the Kyiv City Council renamed a square in Kyiv's Pecherskyi District in his honor.[9]
On 20 May 2024 the Poltava city council renamed a street in its city in honour of Kotsiubailo.[10]
Awards
edit- The title of Hero of Ukraine with the Order of the Golden Star (30 November 2021) — for personal courage in the defense of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine;[11]
- Cross of Military Merit (9 March 2023, posthumously);[12]
- National Legend of Ukraine (23 August 2023, posthumously)[13]
- Order of the People's Hero of Ukraine (2017).[14]
Military ranks
editReferences
edit- ^ "Zelenskiy leads tributes to revered Ukrainian fighter killed in Bakhmut". Reuters. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- ^ "Death of Ukrainian commander 'Da Vinci' gives Russia a propaganda win". The Independent. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- ^ Герой України доброволець «Да Вінчі» вперше зустрічає Новий рік не на фронті Archived 15 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine // TSN.ua, 31 December 2021
- ^ "30 до 30: обличчя майбутнього". forbes.ua. 22 August 2022.
- ^ Bushard, Brian. "'Hero Of Ukraine' Dies In Battle As Russian Advance Continues". Forbes. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- ^ "На Донбасі загинув Герой України, легендарний доброволець Дмитро Коцюбайло (Да Вінчі), - Зеленський."ВIДЕО". censor.net (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "У Києві попрощалися з легендарним Героєм України "Да Вінчі": фото та відео з Майдану". 24 Канал (in Ukrainian). 10 March 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
- ^ Stas Rudenko (20 December 2023). "A square in honor of Dmytro "Da Vinci" Kotsyubail appeared in Dnipro". dp.informator.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "Mykhailo Horyn and Mykola Rudenko streets will appear in Kyiv". Istorychna Pravda (in Ukrainian). 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "In Zaporizhzhia, a street was renamed in honor of teenage partisans who were killed by the occupiers in Berdyansk". Istorychna Pravda (in Ukrainian). 21 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ Decree of the President of Ukraine from 30 November 2021 year № 608/2021 «Про присвоєння Д.Коцюбайлу звання Герой України» (in Ukrainian)
- ^ Decree of the President of Ukraine from 9 March 2023 year № 142/2023 «Про нагородження Д.Коцюбайла відзнакою Президента України "Хрест бойових заслуг"» (in Ukrainian)
- ^ a b Decree of the President of Ukraine from 23 August 2023 year № 499/2023 «Про нагородження відзнакою Президента України «Національна легенда України»» (in Ukrainian)
- ^ Дмитро Коцюбайло став новим Героєм України on YouTube // TSN.ua. — 2021. — 1 December.
- ^ Волошин, Н. Герой України Дмитро Коцюбайло — легендарний "Да Вінчі", отримав первинне офіцерське звання «молодший лейтенант, АрміяInform, 23.08.2022.