Today "Da Vinci" could have turned 29: Ukrainians honor the memory of Dmytro Kotsiubailo, who died for Ukraine

On Friday, November 1, Hero of Ukraine Dmytro Kotsiubailo, a soldier with the call sign "Da Vinci" and commander of the 1st Brigade "Da Vinci Wolves" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, would have turned 29. He was killed on March 7, 2023, during the fighting near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, when one of the fragments of a mortar shell that exploded nearby hit him in the neck.

On this day, the military, volunteers, friends, and family honor the memory of Dmytro, who became a legendary figure for Ukraine, a renowned commander and defender.

Born in 1995 in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, Dmytro grew up in an atmosphere of patriotism – his great-grandfather fought in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.

Since childhood, Dmytro was fond of drawing and dreamed of becoming an artist, so he chose the pseudonym "Da Vinci." He studied at the Ivano-Frankivsk Professional Construction Lyceum for three years.

He volunteered for the front in 2014 when he was only 18 years old.

In 2014, Dmytro was seriously wounded in Pisky, Donetsk region, but returned to the front after his recovery.

In 2016, at the age of 21, he was appointed commander of the 1st "Da Vinci Wolves" Special Forces of the Air Force, reformatted into a battalion. Kotsiubailo's unit took part in combat operations in almost all hotspots of the ATO. This volunteer company was not part of the Armed Forces and was not actually subordinate to the army command.

In early December 2021, Dmytro Kotsiubailo (call sign "Da Vinci") was awarded the highest state award, the title of Hero of Ukraine, by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He was the first volunteer to receive this title during his lifetime.

Dmytro was killed on March 7, 2023, while defending the country in the battles near Bakhmut, he was 27 years old.

Internet users honored the memory of the Hero of Ukraine Dmytro Kotsiubailo

The Right Sector recalls its legendary fighter Dmytro Kotsiubailo "Da Vinci" as a leader and authority who became an example for many generations, a symbol of struggle, and an embodiment of dedicated nationalism. At the age of 18, he went to the Maidan and later to the war, choosing struggle over submission.

"29 years ago, the Hero of Ukraine, Dmytro Kotsiubailo, was born in a small village of Zadnistrianske in Ivano-Frankivsk region.

"You have to fight for your freedom. If you don't want to be a yoke or a slave, you have to fight," said Dmytro. He chose struggle over submission: at the age of 18, he went to the Maidan, and later to the war.

His life as a nationalist led him from an inexperienced fighter of the Right Sector on the Maidan to a member of the leadership of the Right Sector National Liberation Movement.

Exceptional military skill and efficiency became his hallmark on the battlefield. That is why he became the first volunteer to be awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine during his lifetime.

Da Vinci was a leader, an authority, a legend. He became a role model for generations, a true symbol of struggle, and an example of a dedicated nationalist.

To love Ukraine as Da Vinci loved it. To fight as Da Vinci fought. To live in a way worthy of the legendary commander's memory. Honor and glory to the Hero forever!" the Right Sector's Facebook post reads.

The network also recalled how the legendary Right Sector fighter Da Vinci celebrated his 20th birthday on the battlefield 9 years ago. At the age of 19, he was seriously wounded at the front, but this did not stop the fighter, and with a titanium plate in his collarbone, he held the defense of Donetsk airport for 7 months.

"November 1. The day when all our brothers and sisters remember the glorious Warrior, the legendary Da Vinci Commander Dmytro Kotsiubailo.

Today, after taking an oath or vows at his grave, many will join our brotherhood. There will be a lot of emotions, and not all brothers and sisters will be able to share the memories and heritage of the common combat path. But they all carry on the banner of his struggle for the greatness and glory of Ukraine," Oksana Korchynska wrote on Facebook.

"Today, Dmytro would have turned 29... Our Da Vinci... A young man who personified the power of the Ukrainian spirit and the courage of the people. Devoted to his principles and with boundless love and respect for his native land, he stood up to defend it at a very young age. And very young he died in the battle for freedom...

We remember... We honor... Eternal glory to all the Heroes who are fighting for the free future of Ukraine at the cost of their own lives," Svitlana Onyshchuk, head of the Ivano-Frankivsk RMA, wrote on Facebook.

"Today would have been the 29th birthday of Dmytro Kotsiubailo, call sign "Da Vinci" – a legendary Ukrainian Volunteer, participant of the Russian-Ukrainian war since 2014, commander of the 1st OMB "Da Vinci Wolves" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Hero of Ukraine (1995-2023).

He was the first volunteer to be awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine for life (in 2021). In 2017, he was also awarded the Order of the People's Hero of Ukraine, a non-state award.

His great-grandfather fought for Ukraine in the UIA. Since the age of 19, Dmytro has been fighting for Ukraine.

The full-scale Nazi invasion caught him in Donbas. Back in 2014, he was seriously wounded but returned to the front a few months later.

Dmytro was born on November 1, 1995, in Ivano-Frankivsk region. He studied to be an artist in Ivano-Frankivsk – his call sign is associated with this talent.

In March 2016, Dmytro was appointed commander of the 1st "Da Vinci Wolves" Special Forces of the Air Force, reformatted into a battalion.

Dmytro Kotsiubailo died on March 7, 2023, near Bakhmut. Thousands of Ukrainians said goodbye to him on the Maidan in Kyiv. The Hero was buried at Askold's grave.

It hurts that today I am not greeting you, but remembering... I remember," Lesia Hordiuk recalls the deceased.

Earlier, Da Vinci's grandmother told us what the Hero was like as a child. According to the woman, Dmytro was a very calm child. The boy liked to draw more than anything else, and in his youth, he was fond of searching for various artifacts with a metal detector on the outskirts of his village.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported, Kotsiubailo's mother Oksana Ivanovna also shared her memories of the hero's childhood and youth. She and the soldier's two sisters tattooed Dmytro's face on their arms in memory of the hero.

Da Vinci's fiancée, paramedic Alina Mykhailova, also told about the moment of injury that became fatal for the hero. He was waiting for his subordinates to enter the basement and wanted to be the last one there, but he didn't have time – there was an explosion, and the Hero suffered injuries incompatible with life.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes!