Captain Serhiy Vinnyk lived in Siverskodonetsk, Luhansk Region, before the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine. On February 24, 2022, he volunteered to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine and was assigned to the 111th Separate Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

"I have been in the army since the first day of the full-scale war. My combat career began in what was then Siverskodonetsk, in the Luhansk region. I participated in all combat operations of the 111th brigade. We defended Lysychansk, Rubizhne, Pryvillya, and fought in the Kremin forests," the officer says.

In the 111th brigade, Serhiy led a platoon of a counter-sabotage company. He recalls that he fought his first battle on March 1, 2022 in the city of Rubizhne. Later, together with the rest of the Defense Forces group, his unit retreated to the territory of the Donetsk region, where it continued to perform combat missions.

“I was wounded, after recovering I returned to the brigade, to the position of deputy commander of the engineering company. I have been serving for four years. During this time I have even received several state awards,” Serhiy smiles.

The soldier has a family at home, a daughter and a grandson. In 2022, they were forced to leave the occupied Luhansk region and temporarily live in Zaporizhia.

"I really want to return, to reunite with my family. But in such difficult times, we don't have to choose our fate. It chooses us. Therefore, we will stand until the end, until our Victory," Serhiy notes.