"His courage was superhuman": funeral is held in Lviv for Mariupol defender, Azov soldier Ihor Mykhailyshyn

On July 20, farewell to Ihor Mykhailyshyn (call sign Derek) took place in the Garrison Church of Peter and Paul. The day before, he was brought from Kyiv. The Azov fighter died on March 20. However, it was recently possible to return the soldier to the territory controlled by Ukraine. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, this is the first funeral of an Azov fighter in Lviv.

"His courage is beyond human capacity, he's one of the bravest fighters I've ever known", his colleague, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons, remembers Derek. 

The man said that in one of the battles, Ihor Mykhailyshyn found himself alone against a dozen enemies, with only a few "unfired" National Guardsmen nearby.

"He courageously held the defense and did everything to prevent the enemy from getting closer. Later, he received a concussion and was treated in one of the front-line hospitals", the soldier continued. "At night this medical facility was captured by separatists. And our wounded, unarmed defenders miraculously escaped from there. Ihor defended himself with an ordinary brick. The fighters then got weapons, changed into civilian clothes and came to our positions. In Mariupol, Derek fought in the hottest direction and terrified the opponents so much that they simply ran away and did not think about attacking at all".

At that time, Ihor was wounded for the second time, but after being treated for about two days, he returned to his position again. In March, he received a third, very serious bullet wound. They tried to evacuate him to Azovstal, but the car was fired upon by enemy aircraft. Together with Igor, three more soldiers died. It was only a few months later that the deceased defender was brought home. 

"He always guided the younger ones to the right path, to a healthy lifestyle. He and I played sports together, and he was a sensitive and bright person", his Lviv friend Andrii remembers the deceased hero. "This is a great loss, because there are very few people like Ihor. He died heroically. It seems to me that films and books will be written about these events".

Ihor Mykhailyshyn graduated from secondary school №65 in Lviv, studied at the Lviv Higher Professional School of Information and Computer Technologies, as well as at the National Academy of Internal Affairs. He participated in the Revolution of Dignity, and with the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2014, he joined the volunteer battalion Azov. He served in it for three years, and was involved in the battle for Schyrokyne. Ihor had the call sign Derek. Subsequently, he served in the training center of the Airborne Assault troops and the 80th Airborne Assault Brigade.  Last year, he returned to the Azov Regiment. 

With the beginning of a full-scale war, a soldier defended Mariupol. By decree of the President of Ukraine, the twenty-seven-year-old fighter was posthumously awarded the Order "For Courage" of the third degree. The hero was buried with honors at the Lychakiv cemetery in Lviv.