Kyiv bids farewell to Yaroslav Shapochka — a photo report.

In Kyiv, a final tribute was paid to 48-year-old Yaroslav "Bryl" Shapochka, a soldier from the 207th battalion of the 241st separate brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine, as well as a journalist and documentarian, who lost his life in battle in March 2023. The defender was laid to rest at the Alley of Heroes in the Lesnoy Cemetery.

https://kyiv.novyny.live/ru/kiyiv-proshchaietsia-z-iaroslavom-shapochkoiu-fotoreportazh-236262.html2025-02-27 07:17:01

This was reported by photo correspondent Novini.LIVE.

Funeral of Yaroslav Shapochka in Kyiv

Director Alina Khoroshilova shared that Yaroslav went missing on March 21, 2023, during an assault on enemy positions between the villages of Zheleznjanskoe and Orekhovo-Vasilyevka in the Bakhmut direction.

A column of armored vehicles with troops came under heavy fire from the occupiers — two BMPs were blown up by anti-tank mines, after which the enemy opened fire with grenades, mortars, and machine guns.

Yaroslav Shapochka was on the armor of the first BMP-2 and did not return from that battle. For nearly two years, he was considered missing until a recent DNA analysis confirmed his death.

What is known about Yaroslav Shapochka

Yaroslav Shapochka was born on July 8, 1974, in Kyiv, attended school No. 117 in the capital, and later graduated from the Institute of Journalism at Taras Shevchenko National University. He worked for the newspaper "Fakty" and then dedicated himself to documentary filmmaking, becoming an expert in working with archival materials.

From the first days of the full-scale invasion on February 25, 2022, he joined the 241st Brigade of the Territorial Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Initially, he defended Kyiv and the Kyiv region, and later continued his service on the eastern front. Yaroslav is survived by his wife Anna Voitovich and their 12-year-old daughter Olya.

As a reminder, recently a marine infantryman Andriy Kuzmenko was buried in Kyiv.

And in Kharkiv, a memorial for fallen soldiers and residents of Kulinichi who were killed by the occupiers was opened.