Yehor Bartosh

Senior Sergeant Yehor Bartosh (call sign Ekho) was killed on July 29, 2022, during a russian terrorist attack on the Olenivka prison colony in temporarily occupied Donetsk Oblast. Just a week earlier, he had turned 34.

Yehor was born in the russian federation, where his parents lived until their divorce when he was five years old. His grandfather renamed him from Azamat to Yehor, and he was raised by his grandparents in Korniivka, a village in the Kyiv region. A cheerful, sociable child, Yehor was loved for his energy and ability to connect with others easily.

He attended local school through eighth grade, then continued his studies at the Lviv Military Lyceum named after the Heroes of Kruty, followed by the Kyiv Military Lyceum named after Ivan Bohun. Later, he earned a degree from the Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design, majoring in Engineering and Economics.

Yehor was known as a jack of all trades, with a love for animals and an adrenaline-filled passion for motorcycles. But above all, he was a patriot.

In 2014, Yehor volunteered to defend Ukraine, joining the Separate Special Purpose Unit “Azov” of the National Guard of Ukraine. He took part in some of the most brutal and defining battles of the war: Ilovaisk (2014), Shyrokyne (2015), Maryinka and Krasnohorivka (2017), Svitlodarsk arc (2019).

When the full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022, Echo was stationed in Mariupol. He held the line at Azovstal for 86 days, side by side with his brothers-in-arms. On May 16, under orders from the Ukrainian command, Yehor was forced to lay down his arms and surrender to russian forces.

He was taken to Colony No. 120 in Olenivka, where on the night of July 28–29, the russians carried out a deliberate terrorist act, detonating explosives in the building housing Ukrainian POWs. Yehor was among those killed.

“A true patriot! Hero of Ukraine, Hero of Mariupol, Hero of Azovstal. Kind, sensitive, and cheerful. We will never forget your smile and your jokes. You are simply the best! A bright, honest person, a man of conscience, a true friend, brother, grandson, and brother-in-arms,” his Azov family, along with loved ones and friends, expressed.

On April 25, 2023, a farewell ceremony was held at Baikove Cemetery in Kyiv. Honoring his final wish, his body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered in the mountains—a place he loved.

Senior Sergeant Yehor Bartosh was posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage,” III Class.

He is survived by his grandmother, brother, and aunt.

Source: Memorial

Contributors: Sophia Yakivtsiv and Tetiana Spindel (translators), Liena Shulika (designer)