The life story of hero-pilot Vitaliy Markevych, who defended Ukraine

A year is like a moment, and a moment is like a lifetime

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Jun 12, 2024 - 13:41 Updated: Jun 13, 2024 - 20:29

The life story of hero-pilot Vitaliy Markevych, who defended Ukraine

YUSUF INAN - INTERVIEW

The life story of hero-pilot Vitaliy Markevych, who defended Ukraine

Yusuf Inan: Who is Inna Markevych? Could you provide some brief information about yourself?

Inna Markevych: My name is Inna. I am an officer in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the mother of a wonderful son, and the wife of Vitaliy Markevych, who died on December 11, 2022, in the Donetsk region.

Yusuf Inan: Can you tell us about your husband, Vitaliy Viktorovych Markevych?

Inna Markevych: Vitaliy was born on July 1, 1995, in the city of Novyi Kalyniv, Lviv region. He studied and lived there. After completing the ninth grade, he entered the "Higher Vocational School." When the Anti-Terrorist Operation began in 2014, he signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and took part in defending Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in the Donetsk and Luhansk directions. During a rotation, he was offered to enter the university and become an officer. In 2015, he entered the Ivan Kozhedub National Air Force University in Kharkiv, specializing in "Aviation Transport." After graduation, this specialization allowed him to choose a flight position, which required passing a flight medical commission. He passed the commission and was assigned to the 12th Separate Army Aviation Brigade named after General Victor Pavlenko as an onboard aviation technician, a position he served in for only two years.

He was the best husband, father, and son. Always smiling and cheerful. He was, is, and will remain our Hero. We miss him terribly. I repeatedly asked him to find another position, but he always said, "If everyone hides, who will fly?" But you know, those who hid are now alive, their children have fathers, their wives have husbands, and their parents have sons. But my Vitalik is gone...

Yusuf Inan: Where and how did your husband die?

Inna Markevych: My husband died in the city of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, on December 11, 2022. A Russian MiG-31 fighter intercepted and shot down their helicopter with an air-to-air missile. Along with him, the helicopter commander Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Fedorov and pilot-navigator Vladyslav Levchuk also died.

Yusuf Inan: Who informed you about your husband's death?

Inna Markevych: Since we studied together at the university, our classmates started calling and asking, "Where is Markevych?" It was very strange, and I called him, but the phone was off. Then I found out that the helicopter had been shot down, but no more information was available. I called colleagues at the unit where Vitalik was on duty; at that moment, no one knew anything or simply did not want to talk. I was sure that everything was fine and that he was alive; he wouldn't leave us. But later, the unit's command called and began to offer condolences, but I still hoped...

Yusuf Inan: What did you feel at that moment?

Inna Markevych: I couldn't believe that it had happened to him. I still don't believe it and hope it's all a terrible dream. I hope to wake up and find him back home with us.

Yusuf Inan: Where is your husband buried?

Inna Markevych: He is buried in the cemetery of the village of Kalyniv in the Lviv region.

Yusuf Inan: Did your husband expect Russia to invade Ukraine?

Inna Markevych: Vitalik hinted that such things were being discussed at work, but he assured me that everything would be fine and it was just panic. Before his last rotation, I read him news about Bakhmut, and he told me, "Things are not as simple as they say, and many of our boys are dying there." When I jokingly planned a summer trip to the sea in our Crimea, he said, "This war will last a long time," as if he knew something.

Yusuf Inan: What was your husband doing when the Russian occupation began?

Inna Markevych: February 24 was supposed to be the first day of his vacation, but our sleep was interrupted by a phone call that the war had started. He quickly got ready and ran to the airfield to perform his duties.

Yusuf Inan: Is the area you live in now safe?

Inna Markevych: We remain in the Lviv region, which is relatively safe, but everyone must understand that at this moment, there is no 100% safe place in our country.

Yusuf Inan: How did you meet pilot Vitaliy Viktorovych Markevych?

Inna Markevych: We studied together at the university in the same specialty but only met in the third year. His dimples and smile captivated and made me fall in love with him at first sight.

Yusuf Inan: When did you get married?

Inna Markevych: We got married as cadets in the fourth year on October 12, 2019. We just signed the documents in Kharkiv. We planned to have a wedding in the summer of 2020 after graduation, but COVID-19 made us cancel the wedding.

Yusuf Inan: Can you tell us about your family?

Inna Markevych: We were an ordinary Ukrainian family with plans and dreams. We had that ideal relationship where the husband is both your best friend and your best lover. We have a son, Mark, who recently turned two. We planned to have a daughter, Valeriya, in the future, as Vitalik wanted.

Yusuf Inan: You mentioned you have a son. Does your son miss his father? Does he understand his father's absence?

Inna Markevych: Due to his age, he doesn't fully understand his father's absence, but Mark misses him very much. There are many photos of us together in the apartment. He sometimes takes a photo and kisses his father on it. In those moments, my heart breaks into pieces.

Yusuf Inan: Have you seen your husband in your dreams?

Inna Markevych: Yes, I used to dream about him very often, but now it happens less frequently. Right after his death, he would appear in my dreams as if he were alive, assuring me he was fine and knocking on the door as if he had returned from a rotation. It's very hard to pull myself together after such dreams because I know it will never happen again.

Yusuf Inan: Who attended your husband's funeral?

Inna Markevych: The funeral felt like a fog to me; I remember everything very vaguely until the 40th day. I know for sure that many people from his unit, friends, and classmates were there.

Yusuf Inan: How old was your husband when he died?

Inna Markevych: He was 27 years old at the time of his death.

Yusuf Inan: Do you have a message for President Zelensky?

Inna Markevych: I wish him strength to achieve victory. I hope that all those who died for Ukraine did not die in vain.