65-year-old Vasyl Kotov was killed as a result of the shelling of the settlement of Ocheretyne in the Pokrovsk district on October 7, 2022. That day, he and his wife went to wish his close friend a happy birthday. His wife went inside the house, while Vasyl stood in the yard talking to his friend’s brother. At that moment, the shelling began. Both men were killed.
Vasyl Kotov was born in Ocheretyne. In his youth, he worked as a truck driver. For over the past 20 years, he worked at a metallurgical enterprise that produces high-voltage fittings for power lines. In his spare time, he took care of the household, enjoyed reading, and liked watching documentaries.
In 2014, the company where Vasyl worked relocated to Odesa. He was invited to help set up operations there. For eight years, he and his wife lived and worked in Odesa. Just a week before the full-scale Russian invasion, they quit their jobs and returned to their home settlement.
"My father was a very kind, decent man. In his whole life, he never offended anyone. He was always ready to help… Family came first for him. The best dad… From the day his only grandson was born, he gave him his utmost attention. There were so many plans for a peaceful life in retirement, but it was not meant to be..." said the deceased’s daughter, Iryna.
Vasyl Kotov is survived by his wife, daughter, son-in-law, son, and grandson.
At 9:00 AM—the national minute of silence. The Donetsk Regional Military Administration and the Memorial Platform: Victims of the War remember the residents of Donetsk Oblast killed by Russians.