August 5, 2023
Sergeant Viktor Budish passed away on August 5, 2023, at the Mechnikov Regional Hospital in Dnipropetrovsk. On July 2, while carrying out a combat mission near the village of Preobrazhenka in Zaporizhzhia region, he sustained gunshot wounds. Viktor was 33 years old.
Viktor was born in the village of Mynkivtsi in Ternopil region. He received secondary education and worked abroad for some time. However, he later decided to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine and found his calling in military service.
Since 2020, Viktor served under contract in the 44th Separate Artillery Brigade named after Hetman Danilo Apostol. He underwent training and subsequently received promotions. On duty, he proved himself to be a responsible and disciplined soldier. He completed two rotations in the area of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) in Donetsk region. With the start of the full-scale invasion, he, along with his comrades, defended the Kyiv-Zhytomyr highway, successfully repelling the enemy’s advance and forcing them to retreat over a significant distance. Later, he went to defend the Zaporizhzhia direction.
“He was a very responsible and disciplined person. Anyone who knew him will never forget his smile. For his comrades, Viktor was not only a commander sent from above but also an example, a person who could solve any problems. As they said after his death, ‘Thanks to Vitya, we had everything, and for that, we had no regrets,'” noted Viktor’s sister, Yulia Tymofiieva.
Posthumously, the defender was awarded the Order of Courage III degree.
Viktor was laid to rest in his native village. In October 2023, a memorial plaque was unveiled in the Mynkivtsi elderate of Dunayivtsi territorial community in honor of the fallen soldier.
Viktor is survived by his parents, sister, and son.