Viktor Ishkhanyan, 65, was killed by Russian shelling on May 31, 2024, in the settlement of Drobysheve, Kramatorsk District.
Viktor was an Armenian from Azerbaijan. After completing his compulsory military service, he went to work in Kazakhstan, where he met his future wife, Tetiana, who had come from Ukraine for work. Later, the couple moved to Tetiana’s homeland—to Drobysheve.
In the spring of 2022, Drobysheve fell under Russian occupation. Viktor and Tetiana left and returned only after the village was liberated in the fall of 2022.
Many fellow villagers came back, and life was gradually getting back on track. Sometimes fighting could be heard from the direction of the front, but Drobysheve itself was not shelled, Tetiana Ishkhanyan recalls.
“That’s how we lived for a year and a half. Everything was fine. And on May 31, 2024, after a year and a half of silence—the first strike. Viktor had gone to the center of the settlement to a shop and came under fire… We buried him the next day in the village.”
Viktor Ishkhanyan was trained as an electric welder and worked in that profession for several years, but later left it due to health issues. After moving to Ukraine, he worked as a bank security guard in Lyman, Donetsk Oblast, and most recently as a cash-in-transit guard.
“Viktor was a very good person, with a gentle character. He helped everyone in the settlement, knew how to fix anything, and loved repairing shoes. He almost never had free time. The neighbors still can’t come to terms with the fact that he’s gone,” Tetiana Ishkhanyan said.
Viktor is survived by his wife, daughter, son, and grandchildren.
At 9:00 a.m., there is a nationwide moment of silence. The Donetsk Regional Military Administration and the Memorial: Killed by Russia platform honor the residents of Donetsk Oblast killed by Russians.