Oleh Ivanovich Babiy (October 22, 1990, Milovice, Nymburk, Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic — August 30, 2023, Russia) — was an officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a participant of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Hero of Ukraine with the posthumous award of the Order of the Golden Star.
Biography
He was born on October 22, 1990 in Milovice, Czech Republic. In 2011, he graduated from the Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi Army Academy.
He has been participating in the Russian-Ukrainian war since 2014. From the first days of the full-scale invasion, he organized and carried out special operations in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and in Russia, for which he was repeatedly awarded.[1]
As of February 2017, he held the position of commander of a patrol platoon in the vehicles of the 1st Patrol Battalion of the 45th Regiment of Operational Purpose of the NGU.[2]
With the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, he continued to perform combat missions,[1] with nine successful reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines, twelve special events to organize and support the resistance movement in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and behind enemy lines. Thanks to the successful completion of the missions, Colonel Babiy's group managed to disorganize the logistics of the occupation forces, destroy its important facilities and elements of critical infrastructure.[3][4]
Babiy last operation was the destruction of three Russian TU-22M3 bombers at the Soltsi airfield in the Novgorod region,[5] which in fact completely destabilized the operation of airfields and long-range aviation bases and reduced the Russian Federation's ability to launch missile strikes with Kh-22 missiles against Ukraine.[6][7] In the course of the task, on August 30, 2023, the intelligence group headed by Babiy engaged in a battle with special agents of the FSB of Russia . While covering the retreat of his comrades, Babiy was mortally wounded. For his heroic deeds, he was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine with the posthumous award of the Order of the Golden Star.[3]
Babiy is survived by his wife and two small children, the youngest daughter was only one year old at the time of her father's death.[3]
Awards
On July 15, 2014, by the Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 593/2014, he was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, III degree, for personal courage and heroism in the defense of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, loyalty to the military oath during the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine.[8]
- Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky III, II, I degrees;[7]
- Order "For Courage" III degree;
- Memorial sign "For military valor" ;
- Commemorative sign "For courage in the performance of special tasks";
- Medal "For participation in the Svitlodar Arc" battles;
- The title of Hero of Ukraine with the posthumous award of the Order of the Golden Star.
Memory
On January 22, 2023, on the Day of Unity of Ukraine, a memorial plaque in his honor was unveiled on the facade of school No. 49 in Lviv, where Oleh Babiy studied.[9]
Notes
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