“He fought for a sovereign Ukraine and paid the ultimate price for it. Roman’s life was taken too early, but his dream lives on. The dream of a new Ukraine”
“One month ago, a young Ukrainian hero died on the battlefield, as he fought for the future of his country. His name was Roman Ratushnyi, and he would have turned 25 tomorrow. Roman belonged to a new generation of young Ukrainians,” with these words President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen started her speech at the Ukraine Recovery Conference. “As a teenager, he was among the first protesters on the Maidan, demonstrating for Europe and for democracy. And ever since, Roman never stopped fighting for a better Ukraine,” she said about Ratushnyi.
24-year-old Roman Ratushnyi was killed on June 9, 2022, while performing a combat mission in the enemyʼs rear. Before that, as a teenager, he participated in the Revolution of Dignity in 2014. He later became a local activist. In particular, Roman revived the “Let’s Save Protasiv Yar” movement, thanks to which he managed to save the local park from the illegal construction of three 40-story buildings. He later founded an organization of the same name.
