Vitalii Myroslavovych Derekh «Salo»
- Military rank: Junior Sergeant
- Unit: 1st Ivan Bohun Separate Special Purpose Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
- Position: Commander of the anti-tank squad of the 3rd Separate Special Purpose Battalion
- State honors: Title of Hero of Ukraine with the Order of the «Gold Star» (July 8, 2023, posthumously); Order «For Courage», III class (September 6, 2016); Honorary Citizen of Ternopil Region (2023, posthumously); Honorary Citizen of the City of Ternopil (August 22, 2022, posthumously);
Biography
Vitalii Derekh was born on September 3, 1987, in the city of Ternopil.
He graduated from the Viacheslav Chornovil Halytskyi College. He worked as a journalist for the newspaper «20 Khvylyn». In 2013, on behalf of the editorial office, he went on an expedition to South Africa and Madagascar.
He was an active participant in the Revolution of Dignity as part of the 15th Hundred of the Maidan Self-Defense. He rescued people on Instytutska Street on February 20.
He was active in Plast in the 29th Yurii Starosolskyi UPU kurin, and later, together with his patrol «Siri Vovky», in the 77th Ivan Havdyda UPU kurin, where he became a counselor after moving into the senior Plast members. He was a participant and instructor at the «Lehion» military-patriotic camp.
In 2014, he volunteered for the 24th Separate Assault Battalion «Aidar» of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; he fought until July 2015. From 2016 to 2018, he worked in the Municipal Guard of Ivano-Frankivsk, including as a rescuer.
With the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he joined the 1st Ivan Bohun Separate Special Purpose Brigade, as part of which he took part in battles near Kyiv and later in Luhansk region. He commanded anti-tank crews, with whom he destroyed more than one unit of enemy equipment and personnel. He saved the lives of many comrades-in-arms.
Under Vitalii's command, in May 2022, a crew of the «Skif» ATGM («Stuhna-P») destroyed 15 units of enemy equipment.
He was killed on May 28, 2022, near the city of Popasna in Luhansk region as a result of an airstrike.
He was buried on June 2, 2022, on the Alley of Heroes at the Mykulynetske Cemetery in the city of Ternopil.