Odesa says goodbye to the defender of Zmeinyi

Today, on June 26, a funeral and farewell ceremony was held in Odesa for the Hero - Andriy Sityavin, a senior sailor from the amphibious assault boat Stanislav, who took part in the heroic confrontation with the enemy in the battle for the liberation of Zmeinyi Island.

According to Olesya Aulina, head of the NGO United by the Sea, Andriy's body was recovered from the sunken boat a year ago.

"And then there were long months of waiting for the DNA examination, the process of which was complicated because our Andriy was an orphan. And we waited. Yes, we knew it was him, because all the direct evidence pointed to it. But the protocol is mandatory," says Aulina.

Olesia Aulina, head of the NGO United by the Sea. Photo: Natalka Dovbysh/Intent

Three years ago, at about 10:30 am on May 7, 2022, during the assault on Zmeinyi Island, 20 meters from the island, the Stanislav assault boat was hit by a Russian missile fired from an aircraft. The missile hit the engine room, and within 20 seconds the boat sank to a depth of about 20 meters. Three crew members were rescued, but five went missing, including Andriy.

Tatiana Sherishorina. Photo: Natalka Dovbysh/Intent

According to the mother of another sailor , Tetiana Sherishorina, although Andriy was an orphan, all the mothers of the sailors who were members of the NGO United by Sea considered him their son.

"He was our common child. We worried about him, fought for him, tried to get him out, to get the truth - just like we do for every guy. You see, this was not someone else's child. He was our guy. For his comrades, he was a friend, a hero. For us, he was a child. Just like my own child. Like all the children we are waiting for and looking for. That's why it hurts so much," the woman added.

During the funeral, it was noted that Andriy died as a hero - on a combat post with a weapon in his hands. After the funeral rites and farewell, the mourning ceremony went to Mykolaiv, Andriy's hometown, where he will be buried on the Walk of Fame.

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