The Lieutenant Colonel of Internal Service fell in battle in the Luhansk region. Let us remember Ruslan Stasiuk.

Every day at 9 a.m., Ukrainians remember those whose lives were lost in the Russian-Ukrainian War. Today we remember Ruslan Stasiuk.

In the face of the extremely difficult battlefield against the Kremlin's occupation forces, while repelling enemy attacks and attempting to conquer new Ukrainian territories, the hero, defender, officer, Ukrainian, and patriot – Ruslan Oleksandrovich Stasiuk with the callsign Sanych fell. This was reported by the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine.

Ruslan Oleksandrovich was born on January 25, 1980. He dedicated many years of his life to serving in law enforcement, participated in complex and responsible tasks, took responsibility for an important matter, and proved that he was capable of successfully completing it.

In particular, he participated in the establishment of the young National Police of Ukraine after the victory of the Revolution of Dignity. In fact, he became the first head of the police department in Bucha of the Irpin Police Department of the GUNP in the Kyiv region and was able to organize the proper process of transformation and building of this authority under the fundamentally new conditions of the then reform.

From 2017, Ruslan Stasiuk served in the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine.

“He held the rank of lieutenant colonel of internal service and was the lead investigator in particularly important cases of the internal investigations, monitoring, and personnel security department of the Department for the Execution of Criminal Sentences. This is an extremely important mission that can only be carried out qualitatively by someone with a specific set of personal strengths and experiences, which Lieutenant Colonel Stasiuk possessed in full. Colleagues and superiors could always rely on him, as they knew – he would not fail...,” reported the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine.

As for many Ukrainians, February 24, 2022, became the Rubicon for Ruslan Oleksandrovich, behind which a relatively quiet life was left: Russia's hybrid and creeping aggression escalated into a full-scale invasion.

Ruslan Stasiuk, who had a family in Bucha – a community that became one of the main targets of the aggressor's attack near the capital, managed to save his family from the occupied city in the first days of chaos, while maintaining contact with his colleagues and trying to be helpful in the defense efforts of his homeland.

Several days passed – and priorities were set. He begins his new mission – military service in the 133rd separate battalion of territorial defense of the 114th separate brigade.

The volunteer participated in the liberation of the Kyiv region from the occupation troops. Subsequently, combat operations followed in eastern Ukraine where he gained unique experiences for almost three years, defeating the enemy with his comrades and sharing everything he had with them, as he simply could not do otherwise. He also took on his last assignment, fully aware of the deadly risks but also knowing that there at the “zero” his comrades were bleeding and calling for help...

“He fell in the Luhansk region, near the village of Nowske, as a warrior and commander, and set an example by not shying away from his duty – in the hellish battle when no one knows when their own Time comes to join the heavenly army of war...,” reported the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine.

It is reported that the tragedy occurred as early as August 2024. At that time, search operations, body retrieval, and identification took place until it was recently finally understood that Ruslan Stasiuk is no longer among the living...

“The personnel of the DKWU express sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of the hero: his wife Victoria Anatolievna Stasiuk, his son Maxim and daughter Diana, his mother Tamara Fedorivna and brother Oleksandr Oleksandrovich, who is currently fighting in the National Guard of Ukraine,” the statement says.

The farewell ceremony for the hero took place on March 1, 2025, at St. Michael's Cathedral in Kyiv. The defender was buried in Bucha.

“Glavkom” joins the moment of silence. We honor all Ukrainians who have fallen in the struggle for their homeland. We remember the fallen who died through the hands of Russian occupiers, light memorial candles, and bow our heads in sorrow during the national minute of silence and honor the light memory of the citizens of Ukraine who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of the state: all military, civilians, and children who perished in the fight against Russian occupiers and as a result of the attack by hostile troops on Ukrainian cities and villages.