In December 2021 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded Kotsiubailo the Hero of Ukraine Ukraine decoration, the country's highest honour.[3] In 2022, he was included in the 30 under 30: Faces of the Future rating by Forbes.[4]
Early life
Dmytro Kotsiubailo was born on 1 November 1995 in the village of Zadnistrianske, now Burshtyn community, Ivano-Frankivsk Raion, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine. He graduated from Bovshivka Secondary School and Ivano-Frankivsk Art Lyceum.
Ukrainian resistance
He was an active participant in the 2014 Revolution of Dignity. He fought in the Russo-Ukrainian War, as a platoon commander of volunteers in 2014, and as a company commander in 2015. In 2014, he was wounded in Pisky, Donetsk Oblast, and returned to the front after recovery. On 17 March 2016, he had served as a captain of an ultra-nationalist volunteer battalion known as the “Right Sector" and led the 1st Mechanized Battalion "Da Vinci Wolves", but never joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine.[5][dubious – discuss]
Death and legacy
On 7 March 2023, Kotsiubailo was killed. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his video address: "Today, 'Da Vinci', a Hero of Ukraine, a volunteer, a man-symbol, a man of courage, Dmytro Kotsiubailo, was killed in action. A fighter of the 67th separate mechanized brigade, a commander. He died in the battle near Bakhmut, in the battle for Ukraine".[6] Dmytro was buried at Askold's Grave.[7]
On 20 May 2024 the Poltava city council renamed a street in its city in honour of Kotsiubailo.[10]
Awards
The title of Hero of Ukraine with the Order of the Golden Star (30 November 2021) — for personal courage in the defense of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine;[11]