On 6 March, the commander of the airmobile battalion of the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade, Maj Andriy Lukanyuk, was killed in the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Region as a result of shelling, the brigade has said on Facebook.
"It is with sadness that we inform you that on 6 March, while performing a combat mission in Chasiv Yar, Bakhmut District, Donetsk Region, the commander of the airmobile battalion, Maj Andriy Lukanyuk, was killed by enemy artillery fire on the command and observation post," the brigade said.
It noted that Lukanyuk "was a respected officer, he was a true example of military valour and glory".
Andriy Lukanyuk, 34, is a native of the village of Hody-Dobrovidka, Kolomyya District, Ivano-Frankivsk Region. Since 2013, he has taken an active part in the formation of the 3rd Battalion Tactical Group of the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade. Since 2014, he has performed combat missions as a company commander. He took part in the battles for Luhansk airport, Debaltseve, Krasnohorivka, Shyrokyne.
In 2022, Maj Lukanyuk headed the airmobile battalion of the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade.