February 25, 2022
Paratrooper Vasyl Bilak perished on February 25, 2022, during a battle with Russian occupiers for Hostomel Airport near Kyiv. He was 22 years old in January.
Vasyl hailed from the city of Mukachevo in Zakarpattia region. He studied at the Mukachevo Cooperative Trade and Economic College. Since 2018, he worked at “Nova Poshta” as a receiving specialist at branch No. 1 in Mukachevo. In April 2019, he was mobilized for compulsory military service. Later, he decided to stay in the army and signed a contract.
The young man served in the ranks of the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was with his unit that he encountered full-scale war and, along with his comrades, was one of the first to engage the enemy in battle.
“Vasyl came to Nova Poshta ‘young and green’, without experience, but quickly grasped the work and proved himself excellently. About half a year later, he was mobilized for compulsory military service. Vasyl completed his term and decided to continue defending his homeland in the Armed Forces of Ukraine by enlisting in a contract service. When Vasyl visited our branch during his leave, we didn’t recognize him – he had changed a lot, matured, became a real man. After the end of the contract, he decided to renew it because he found himself in military affairs,” said the supervisor of the deceased from “Nova Poshta.”
“Vasyl was the eldest son in the family, he lost his father at a very young age, he was a support and a father figure for his mother and his younger brother. Such sons and daughters now stand up for us, we pray for them to return to their mothers alive,” noted the Mukachevo City Council.
Posthumously, soldier Bilak V.M. was awarded the Order of Courage III degree.
The young warrior was laid to rest in his hometown.
Vasyl is survived by his mother and brother.