Leonid Derhach
27 years old, Candidate of Legal Sciences
Leonid Derhach
Akademik
March 24, 1979
Zarozhany village, Khotyn district, Chernivtsi region
National Academy of Internal Affair
Lawyer at the Organized Crime Control Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the Chernivtsi region; lecturer at the Faculty of Law of Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, Associate Professor of the Department of Justice
In 2011, obtained the academic degree of Candidate of Legal Sciences
Lieutenant, commander of the 9th Mechanized Company of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade. Served in the brigade as a grenade launcher operator, squad commander, platoon commander, and later company commander. Participant in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in 2015–2017 in the areas of Volnovakha, Petrivske (strongpoint «Cuba»), Starohnativka, Hranitne, Bila Kamianka, and Novolaspa
On February 1, 2017, he was killed during an artillery attack on a company strongpoint near «Tsarska Okhota» in the industrial zone of Avdiivka.
Posthumously awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, III degree, the Order «People’s Hero of Ukraine», and promoted to the rank of Senior Lieutenant
Mykhailo Dzeren, fellow serviceman and deputy commander of the 3rd battalion in which «Akademik» served:
In March 2015, Leonid arrived in my company through mobilization,» says Mykhailo Dzeren. «He came as a soldier. It was immediately obvious that he was a normal, sensible man, so I appointed him squad commander. After several months of service, he said he wanted to become an officer. We supported him in this, and he completed special training courses. Whenever someone learned that Lyonia was a Candidate of Sciences, everyone asked why he had gone to the army. For us, it was a mystery. But he calmly replied: “I will be more useful here than there.” And he truly proved himself in his place and showed excellent results. A soldier commanding a squad already means something, because that position is normally held by a sergeant. «Akademik» had never completed compulsory military service, but after training he successfully managed the squad. Then he became the senior sergeant of the platoon, and later acted as platoon commander. Everything worked out for him
Olena Mokrenchuk, press officer of the 72nd Brigade:
Lyonia’s university friends from Chernivtsi regularly sent him entire packages of assistance. Later it became clear that he had equipped practically three positions at his own expense. He bought plastic sheeting for dugouts, clothing for soldiers… When his mobilization term ended, Lyonia could not leave because many of the guys depended on him. The commanders also did not want to let him go. The level of trust in this commander is shown even by the fact that he was stationed 35 kilometers away from battalion headquarters. And with 15 fighters he held the position
Iryna Tatulych, colleague and Associate Professor of the Department of Procedural Law at the Faculty of Law of Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University:
Leonid Derhach always stood guard over the law and taught this to his students, who in turn had the opportunity to gain both theoretical knowledge and practical experience, which they later embodied in their future profession. Many graduates of the Faculty of Law owe him for helping them choose and achieve their dreams. We bow our heads and respectfully remember this wonderful person!
Aurika Paskar, colleague and Associate Professor of the Department of Procedural Law at the Faculty of Law of Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University:
He was a colleague who always radiated a good mood. Friendly, sincere, and attentive to people, Leonid never stood aside and was always ready to help and support others. We will remember his courage and strength of spirit, which he demonstrated while defending Ukraine
Candidate Master of Sports of Ukraine in powerlifting. He also played volleyball and football together with his students.
He headed the legal clinic at the Faculty of Law of Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, which provided free legal aid to low-income groups of the population