Senior Soldier Vyacheslav Matviienko, callsigns “Syava” and “Island,” was killed on March 22, 2022, during the battles for Mariupol. He was 31 years old.
Vyacheslav was born in Donetsk and studied in Makiivka. He loved football, enjoyed reading and drawing, and from a young age was part of the Shakhtar fan movement. After the outbreak of war in 2014, he moved with his family to territory controlled by Ukraine and later took up arms to defend his country.
In 2016, he signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, serving in the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade and later in the Azov unit. From the first days of the full-scale invasion, he defended Mariupol and Azovstal.
His brothers-in-arms remember him as a reliable, brave, and true friend who was always there in the hardest moments.
Vyacheslav was posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage,” 3rd Class.
He is survived by his wife, daughter, and parents.
At 9:00 a.m. — a nationwide minute of silence. The Donetsk Regional Military Administration and the Memorial Heroes platform honor the fallen defenders from Donetsk region.