Kyiv director and soldier Yaroslav Shapochka died

Kyiv director and soldier Yaroslav Shapochka died

Kyiv director, serviceman of the 207th Territorial Defence Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yaroslav Shapochka, has died.

His death was confirmed by director Alina Khoroshilova (Klochko) in her post on Facebook on February 10. In a comment, she noted that she received this information from Yaroslav’s wife and that she herself is the godmother of his daughter.

"Unfortunately, the worst has been confirmed – Yaroslav Shapochka is on the shield, forever on the heavenly guard. Eternal memory and glory to the Hero. I will inform you of all the details of the farewell later," she wrote.

Until this time, Yaroslav had been considered missing for almost two years.

Thousands of his friends, colleagues, and simply concerned Ukrainians were waiting for better news about the fate of the warrior.

It is now known that Yaroslav Shapochka died in the 20s of March 2023 in a battle with Russian occupiers on the Soledar direction in the Donetsk region. During the assault actions, the BMP in which Yaroslav was exploded.

He served in the 2nd Rifle Company of the 207th Separate Territorial Defence Battalion (Shevchenkivskyi district of Kyiv) of the 241st Separate Brigade TDF of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"Bitter. The miracle did not happen. (...) So many times over these almost two years, I have visited your page and looked again and again at the last post you shared. A photo with a brick house and three boarded-up windows with peeling blue paint. ’Locked tri-window,’ you wrote.

Of course, there was little chance, but as long as a person is missing, you always want to hope for some miracle until the very end. Rest peacefully. This is all so bitter. Blessed memory," wrote director Iryna Tsilyk on her page.

"Yarik... On March 20, 2023, Yarik congratulated me on my birthday. And that’s it. That was also the last post on Facebook. We studied together at Sheva, hung out in the dorms, then met at all the Maidans and rallies, on Bankova and in ’Cupid,’ at ’BJ’ and at ’Barbakan,’ laughed and enjoyed life... Yarik was a director, a photo artist, loved his daughter and always shone – with that internal quiet light of a very good person.. Yarik was kind, extraordinarily kind..." shared writer Svitlana Povalyaeva, a classmate of the fallen, on social media.

Yaroslav Shapochka, 50 years old, was a Kyiv resident, journalist, artist, public activist, participant of the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity. He studied at school No. 117 on Luteranska Street. He graduated from the Institute of Journalism of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (1991-1996). Later he mastered the profession of a director and photographer.

From the first days of the large-scale war, he joined the ranks of the Kyiv TDF brigade.

He is survived by his wife and daughter.

Eternal memory to the Warrior and the Man.