Denys Tkach

Denys Viktorovych Tkach was a Ukrainian border guard who was killed by Russian forces on 24 February 2022 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the village of . He is recognised as the first soldier killed during the invasion.

Biography Tkach was born in Mykilske, Luhansk Oblast. In 2007, he joined the armed forces and, by 2022, was serving in the 3rd Border Detachment, tasked with managing the Luhansk Oblast border. On February 24, 2022, after months of tension between Russia and Ukraine, Russia invaded Ukraine. Despite being announced at 04:30, Kyiv time, Russian forces first attacked the Ukrainian border at 03:40, in Zorynivka, where Tkach was stationed.

Family Tkach was survived by his wife and two daughters who fled to Volodymyr in Volyn Oblast following six months of occupation. Tkach's mother would flee to Russia four days after his death.