Private Volodymyr Shenkarenko was killed on November 2, 2024, during a combat mission near the village of Antonivka in Pokrovsk district. The defender was 23 years old.
Volodymyr was born in the village of Dmytrivka, Kramatorsk district, and lived in the village of Ocheretyne. He graduated from a local school and worked as a tractor driver in civilian life. He dreamed of owning a house with a large plot of land and wanted to start his own business. He loved lively company, adrenaline, outdoor recreation, and catching crayfish and fish.
During the full-scale Russian invasion, in December 2022, he joined the military to protect his Motherland from the Russian occupiers. He received his call sign during his first days of training: he was very inquisitive, and his brothers-in-arms had a good sense of humor. Volodymyr served in the ranks of the 79th Separate Air Assault Tavriiska Brigade as a senior anti-tank guided missile gunner-operator. Together with his comrades, he defended his native Donetsk Oblast, particularly on the Marinka axis.
For his honorable service, Volodymyr was awarded the "Golden Cross" badge of honor by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and posthumously received the Order "For Courage," 3rd Class.
"Vova really loved working; he never turned down any task. He was always helping his parents and friends. He was most drawn to working in the fields, so he got his tractor driver's license and started working in agriculture. He wanted a family, children, his own house, a car, and to go skydiving. He had so many dreams and left so much undone... I am proud that my brother went to defend our home so that I could live in our native Donbas. I am proud that he is a hero," said the warrior's sister, Olena.
The paratrooper was buried in the village of Ocheretyne in Donetsk Oblast.
He is survived by his mother, stepfather, and two sisters.
At 9:00 AM—the national minute of silence. The Donetsk Regional Military Administration and the Heroes Memorial Platform remember the fallen defenders from Donetsk Oblast.