April 21, 2023
Sergeant Vitaliy Moraru, call sign Marat, was killed on April 21, 2023, in a battle with occupiers near the village of Dyliivka in Donetsk region. The defender was only 21 years old.
Vitaliy was born in the village of Novosvitlivka in Mykolaiv region. He studied at the local school. In 2020, he graduated from the Technological and Economic Vocational College of MNAU. From a young age, he dreamed of being a soldier. He couldn’t wait to come of age to join the army. When he was drafted for compulsory service, he immediately signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. When asked by his relatives “Why?” he replied, “I don’t want to sit idle, I want to do something, to be needed.”
He served in the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Knights of the Winter Campaign. He carried out combat missions in the Joint Forces Operation area. During the full-scale war, he was a commander of a self-propelled artillery platoon. From the first days of the invasion, he fought in Mykolaiv region, participated in the counteroffensive in Kherson region, and defended Bakhmut in Donetsk region.
“Calm, sociable, kind, devoted with a great sense of justice,” noted the aunt of the deceased, Marina Hryhorieva.
“A fearless warrior and a person with a heart of gold, the most sincere and kind,” added close friends and family.
The Hero was buried in his native village.
At home, Vitaliy was awaited by his mother and loving relatives.