Senior Lieutenant Andriy Hromakov, call sign Hrom, was killed on March 11, 2022, in Mariupol as a result of an enemy tank shell hitting near a funeral home. He was 44 years old.
Andriy was born on April 20, 1977, in Khartsyzk, Donetsk region. After finishing school, he entered the Kharkiv National Military University, Faculty of Anti-Aircraft Missile Forces, where he learned to operate the Buk surface-to-air missile system. After that came his military service, to which Andriy dedicated 10 years of his life. He lived with his family in Mariupol. In 2005, he transferred to the police, where he served until 2019.
After retirement, he worked as a mechanic at a service station.
He loved cooking, preferred heavy music, played basketball, and was passionate about American muscle car culture. Andriy was a very kind person, devoted to his country.
“My father knew how to be my rock. He taught me how to cook. I still remember how we would prepare dinners together and then go to meet my mom from work with our French bulldog. Dad taught me how to solder guitar cords, to resist and defend myself. At the same time, he was the brightest person in my life. We loved our Azov Sea very much, and in summer we would have barbecues there. He was a loving father who always supported my hobbies and helped me grow,” recalled his daughter Sofia.
On February 28, Andriy Hromakov joined the Mariupol Territorial Defense.
“March 11 was the last day of his life and the last day I saw my dad. He brought us water and food from our apartment to the place where my mom and I were staying. Along with the wife of my father’s commander, her child, and my cousin, my mom and I managed to escape the occupation on March 18,” shared Sofia. “I learned about my father’s death from a friend when we were already in Poland. I received a message at 7 in the morning that read: ‘Killed at the funeral home on 11.03.2022 by a direct hit from a tank shell.’”
Until the fall of 2024, the family searched for the body of the Mariupol defender. On Sofia’s 18th birthday, the police called and informed her of a DNA match. The farewell ceremony for Andriy Hromakov took place in Kyiv in October 2024.
The warrior was laid to rest at the Lukyanivske Military Cemetery in Kyiv.
He is survived by his wife and daughter.
🕘 At 9:00 — a nationwide moment of silence. Donetsk Regional Military Administration and the Memorial platform honor the fallen defenders from Donetsk region.