Valerii Fedorovych Hudz (Ukrainian: Валерій Федорович Гудзь; 12 February 1971 – 12 March 2022) was a Ukrainian serviceman.[1]

Valerii Fedorovych Hudz
Native name
Валерій Федорович Гудзь
Birth nameValerii Fedorovych Hudz
Born(1971-02-12)12 February 1971
Boryspil, Kyiv Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Died12 March 2022(2022-03-12) (aged 51)
Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine
Allegiance Ukraine
Service / branch Ukrainian Army
Years of service1991–2001
2014–2022
RankColonel
Unit24th Mechanized Brigade, 72nd Mechanized Brigade
Battles / wars
AwardsHero of Ukraine Order of the Gold Star (posthumously)

Career

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Hudz's military career began in 1999, and ended in 2001. In 2014, following the Revolution of Dignity and the start of the war in Donbas, Hudz came out of retirement to serve in the Ukrainian Army once more.

He was a Colonel in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, serving as commander of the 24th Mechanized Brigade from 2017 to 2020.[2] Hudz fought in sector "D" on the border war with Russia, in the area of Volnovakha and Avdiivka. He died at age 51 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the Luhansk region. He was posthumously awarded the highest award in Ukraine, Hero of Ukraine.[3][4][5]

References

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  1. ^ Пилипчук, Р. В. (16 March 2023). Гудзь Валерій Федорович (in Ukrainian). Інститут енциклопедичних досліджень НАН України. ISBN 978-966-02-2074-4.
  2. ^ "В бою на Луганщині загинув екскомандир 24-ї бригади зі Львівщини". Ukrinform (in Ukrainian). 13 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Бориспільці провели на вітчизняну війну своїх земляків". Borispil Market Newspaper (in Ukrainian). 28 August 2014.
  4. ^ ""Він вискочив на танк і заявив, що приймає командування на себе". Спогади про полковника Валерія Гудзя, який загинув на Луганщині". Express Online (in Ukrainian). 4 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Family and fellow soldiers bid farewell to heroic colonel Gudz killed in Donbas". Kyiv Independent. 16 March 2022.
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