06.14.2014
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

A crew from Melitopol [a city in Zaporizhzhya Oblast] led by the Deputy Commander of the Air Squadron, Lt. Col. of the National Guard Oleksandr Bilyi, operated the IL-76 aircraft downed in Luhansk.

The majority of deceased airborne troopers are originally from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Before sending them off, the soldiers were lined up and asked, “Who will be flying?” These very guys made a step forward…

By Saturday evening, the names of 40 soldiers who had been on board of the plane were released, TSN provides the list of victims.

Paratroopers from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast:

1. Avdeyev, Kostyantyn Serhiyovych–Senior soldier, senior spotter

2. Avramenko, Oleksandr Serhiyovych–soldier, anti-aircraft gunner

3. Altunin, Valeriy Volodymyrovych–Senior Lieutenant [First Lt.], platoon leader

4. Bondarenko, Vitaliy Yuriyovych–soldier, grenade thrower

5. Haiduk, Ilya Vitaliyovych–soldier

6. Gorda, [Horda] Anatoliy Anatoliyovych–Senior soldier, senior mechanic-driver

7. Grabovyi, Valeriy Mykolayovych–Senior Lieutenant [First Lt.], Deputy Battery Commander

8. Dmytrenko, Andriy Olehovych–soldier

9. Dobropas, Sergiy Vitaliyovych–Senior soldier, anti-aircraft gunner

10. Dubyaga, Stanislav Viktorovych–Senior soldier, anti-aircraft gunner

11. Kamenyev, Denys Serhiyovych–Senior soldier, gunner–auxiliary grenade thrower

12. Kyva, Vladyslav Mykolayovych–Jr. Sgt., machinist-driver of fueling vehicle

13. Kovalchuk, Yuriy Leonidovych – Sgt., commander of the combat vehicle

14. Korenchenko, Oleh Volodymyrovych–soldier

15. Kosnar, Pavlo Leonidovych–Jr. Sgt., unit commander

16. Kotov, Oleksandr Oleksandrovych–soldier, anti-aircraft gunner

17. Kuznetsov, Anton Oleksandrovych–Senior soldier, anti-aircraft gunner

18. Kulibaba, Ruslan Mykolayovych–Sgt., tanker driver

19. Kucheryavyi, Serhiy Vasylyovych–Jr. Sgt., unit commander

20. Levchuk, Pavlo Mykolayovych–soldier, anti-aircraft gunner

21. Lisnoy, Serhiy Volodymyrovych–soldier, mechanic-driver

22. Malyshenko, Taras Serhiyovych–soldier, anti-aircraft gunner

23. Manulov, Serhiy Fedorovych–Senior warrant officer, technician

24. Myroshnychenko, Serhiy Oleksandrovych–Senior soldier, senior spotter

25. Moskalenko, Serhiy Oleksandrovych–soldier

26. Nikonov, Pavlo Serhiyovych–soldier, anti-aircraft gunner

27. Reznikov, Yevgen Serhiyovych–Sgt., cannon commander

28. Samokhin, Anton Oleksiyovych–Senior soldier, fitter-assembler

29. Sanzharovets, Artem Yevhenovych–Senior soldier

30. Skalozub, Artem Valentynovych–Senior soldier, senior spotter

31. Shostak, Serhiy Mykhaylovych­­–Senior soldier, anti-aircraft gunner

32. Shulga, Andriy Mykolayovych–soldier

33. Shumakov, Serhiy Viktorovych–Sgt., senior shooter

Donetsk Oblast:

34. Kryvosheyev, Serhiy Ihorevych–soldier, mechanic-driver

35. Pronkov, Rostyslav Ruslanovych–soldier

Kharkiv Oblast:

36. Goncharenko [Honcharenko], Serhiy Valeriyovych–Jr. Sgt., cannon commander

Kherson Oblast:

37. Lefintsev, Oleh Vasylyovych–Senior soldier, tanker driver

Kirovohrad Oblast:

38. Baban, Vitaliy Yuriyovych–Sgt., unit commander

Luhansk Oblast:

39. Tokarenko, Ihor Oleksandrovych–soldier, mechanic-driver

Lviv Oblast:

40. Bakhur, Vitaliy Volodymyrovych– Senior Lieutenant [First Lt.], Deputy Battery Commander, Paratrooper training instructor

The crew of IL-76

The crew from Melitopol of Zaporizhzhya Oblast operated the transport aircraft, led by the deputy commander of the Air Squadron, Lt. Col. of National Guard, Oleksandr Bilyi who repeatedly fulfilled UN combat missions–in particular, in the African Republic of Chad.

Among the IL-76 crew, the following members were killed:

41. Bilyi, Oleksandr (1976) crew commander, Lt. Col. of National Guard, deputy commander of the Air Squadron

42. Dyakov, Mykhaylo (1968) Major of the Guard, head of air-fire tactical training

43. Skachkov, Ihor (1977) Captain of the Guard, Air Squadron navigator

44. Telegin, Serhiy (1971) Captain of the Guard, head of the technical and operational unit of the engineering and aeronautical service at the Air Squadron

45. Burkavtsov, Volodymyr (1976) Sr. Lt. of the Guard, onboard aircraft technician

46. ​​Kozoliy, Oleksandr (1984) Sr. Lt. of the Guard, senior onboard aircraft technician

47. Pavlenko, Oleh (1971) Sr. Lt. of the Guard, senior maintenance technician of radio-electronic equipment,

48. Kovalyk, Oleksandr (1972) Warrant officer of the Guard, senior aerial gunner

49. Mentus, Viktor (1982) Warrant officer of the Guard, senior air radio operator

Geography of tragedy

Fatalities on IL-76 in Luhansk were from nine Oblasts of Ukraine: Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, Kherson, Odesa, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Kirovohrad, and Lviv.

Here are the town and district data on the deceased paratroopers of the IL-76 downed near Luhansk, provided by Artem Gubenko on Facebook:

Dnipropetrovsk–10 people;

Vasylkivskyi, Solonyanskyi, Syynelnykivskyi, Tomakovskyi, Aostolivskyi, Mezhyvskyi, Pokrovskyi raions [districts] of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast–one person;

Krivyi Rih–6 people;

Pavlohrad–2 people;

Dniprodzerzhynsk–2 people;

Nikopol–3 people;

Petropavlivka–2 people;

Melitopol of Zaporizhzhya Oblast–9 pilots;

Donetsk– 2 people;

Kherson, Odesa, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Kirovohrad, Lviv– one person.

As a reminder, on the night of June 14 terrorists shot down a cargo IL-76 airplane with 30 airborne troops on board during its landing in Luhansk. Terrorists hit it with a missile fired from MANPADS.

President Poroshenko announced a day of mourning for the 49 deceased soldiers in Ukraine on Sunday, June 15, ordering a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council and instructing the Cabinet to assist the families of the victims.

Meanwhile, Semyon Semyonchenko, the commander of the Donbas Battalion believes that the plane was shot down as a result of betrayal.

Source: Podrobnosti.ua,  TSN.ua
Image Source: Diyatyorg Twitter