Taras Kostanchuk
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| This article, Taras Kostanchuk, has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary.
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Comment: It seems he is a past self nominated and failed candidate for President. Therefore it is unclear why he is notable under WP:NPOL. Please clarify. Legacypac (talk) 12:49, 9 February 2019 (UTC)
Taras Kostanchuk | |
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| Native name | Тарас Дмитрович Костанчук |
| Birth name | Taras Dmytrovych Kostanchuk |
| Nickname(s) | Bishut |
| Born | 9 March 1964 Alchevsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union (1983–1991) Ukraine (1992–present) |
| Service/ |  National Guard of Ukraine |
| Commands |  Volunteer battalion “Donbas” |
| Battles/wars | Soviet Army of the USSR, Grozny, Chechnya; war in the East of Ukraine |
| Awards |  Order of Merit
3rd Class  Medal For Military Service to Ukraine...[1] |
Taras Dmytrovych Kostanchuk (Ukrainian: Тара́с Дми́трович Костанчу́к; born 9 March 1964) is the Ukrainian public activist, the leader of the civil organization "Military-Patriotic Association of the ATO participants "Justice", the former commander of the assault group of the volunteer battalion “Donbas” (2014).[2] He was demobilized in spring, 2015[3]. Candidate for president of Ukraine[4]. Candidate of People's Deputies of Ukraine[5].
Biography
Taras was born on March 9, 1964, in the city of Komunarsk, Voroshilovgrad oblast, the Ukrainian SSR (now there is the city of Alchevsk, Luhansk Oblast) in the family of thermophysics. His mother is from Vinnytsia Oblast, his father is from Kherson Oblast. Taras lives in Kyiv from 3 years old.
In 1981, Taras graduated from Kyiv secondary school with advanced study of mathematics №200. After school he entered the Kyiv Medical College №3.
From 1982 to 1984 Taras served in the Soviet Army of the USSR in Grozny, Chechnya.
From 1985 to 1988 he studied at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Department of Biology).
In 1989, Taras went abroad to Italy, where he had been living and working until 1998.
In 1998, he returned to Ukraine, accepting his friend's proposal to take over the post of General Director of CJSC “Agro-Transport Coordination Service” (ZAT “Ahro-transportna koordynatsiina sluzhba”).
From 2003 to 2008 Taras got a higher education in the specialty "Law" at the Kyiv National University of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
Since 2007, he runs his own legal practice as entrepreneur[6][7].
Activity
Public activity before the Revolution of Dignity
In 2005, Taras Kostanchuk together with his comrades founded a public organization "Archaeological Patriotic Search Association "Dnipro-Ukraine", which is engaged in the search and reburial of the remains of World War II soldiers. The organization operates in the present time on the territory of the Kyiv Oblast. The organization for 7 years of its existence recorded more than 800 soldiers, restored 106 names, and organized 17 mass and 11 single reburials[8].
Under the direction of Taras Kostanchuk, the searchers created a large stationary museum of military archeology in Kyiv and 10 museums in secondary schools throughout Ukraine. There are more than 5000 exhibits in museums; 1774 units of explosive exhibits were transferred to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Ukraine for elimination.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 "Захід "Благо Дарю" - відповідь волонтерам" on YouTube // Espreso.TV, 5 December 2015 |
Participation in the Revolution of Dignity (2013-2014)
During the Revolution of Dignity (2013-2014) Taras was on the Maidan from the first days. As one of the oldest participants, Taras frequently had to take command and coordinate the actions of the activists. On the night of February 19, 2014, he held a rank along with other patriots, which became a shield against fire engines with water jets. The same day, Taras Kostanchuk got blast injury and wounded leg due to a grenade explosion[9].
Participation in Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO)
In May 2014, Taras Kostanchuk with personal weapons went to Donbas, where he joined the so-called “men in black” who opposed the militiamen in several districts of the Donetsk Oblast. From June 1, 2014, he arrived to the training base in the village of Novi Petrivtsi (Kyiv Oblast), in order to train volunteers – who prepared to go to the ATO area.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| "Donbass" battalion training at the Novi Petrivtsi village (2014)" on YouTube // Justice Ukraine, 2 June 2017 |
In early July 2014, after three weeks of training, Taras Kostanchuk joined a volunteer battalion "Donbas", and went with his comrades to the combat zone near Artemivsk[10].
On the first night in the ATO area, the recruits of the battalion “Donbas”, being at the temporary base of the Battalion in the Artemivsk school, fell under the tight fire of the enemy. Under the command of Taras Kostanchuk they managed to repel the fire and defend their positions without loss.
| External videos | |
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| "Bishut tells of attack of militants in Artemivsk" on YouTube // Justice Ukraine, Summer 2014 |
Reflecting on the night attack of militants, the fighters of the battalion “Donbas” took active steps to liberate Artemivsk from terrorists, build checkpoints in and outside the city, as well as prepared for cleansing operation[11].
In July 2014, Taras Kostanchuk as the commander of the assault group of the battalion “Donbas” with his comrades conducted the operations to liberate the Ukrainian cities of Popasna[12][13], Lysychansk[14], and Pervomaisk[15].
Battle of Ilovaisk
On August 10, 2014, the Armed Forces of Ukraine along with the fighters of the battalions “Donbas”, “Azov”, “Shakhtarsk” and “Right Sector” began an operation to liberate the city of Ilovaisk[16].
The general Ruslan Khomchak was planning the operation together with the commanders of the battalions. Taras Kostanchuk also participated in the planning of liberation[17].
The main task was to liberate Ilovaisk completely from terrorists and take the city. The minimum goal was to conduct the "developing attack" in order to understand the forces of the enemy. That task was fulfilled during the first entry in Ilovaisk on August 10, 2014. It was found that the enemy is well positioned. The volunteer battalions needed the reinforcements[18].
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| "Fight near Ilovaisk: volunteer battalions could not take the city" on YouTube // Radio Liberty Ukraine, 11 August 2014 |
| External videos | |
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| "Ilovaisk. How it was" on YouTube // Denis Kazanskyi, 20 January 2016 |
On August 18, 2014, the fighters of the battalion “Donbas” entered with heavy fighting in Ilovaisk and were able to knock out terrorists from the eastern part of the city. During the battles 3 checkpoints and 4 enemy firing points were destroyed[19].
Till morning of August 19, the ATO forces took control over the most of the city[20].
On August 19, 2014, during a combat task Taras Kostanchuk, having been seriously injured in his head and with a blast injury, got into encirclement in the center of Ilovaisk. Together with a comrade who was seriously injured in leg, Taras was hiding in local resident’s house for 3 weeks[21][22].
And only after 3 weeks, he was able to get out of the encirclement thanks to the help of local patriots[23].
| External videos | |
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| "Ilovajsk. The story of a fighter who came out of hell" on YouTube // Espreso.TV, 28 August 2016 |
Public activity after participation in ATO
Immediately after treatment and short-term rehabilitation, Taras Kostanchuk began to take charge of the liberation of his comrades from captivity. He took part in negotiations with separatists, agreed on the exchange of prisoners, helped to bring them out of the ATO.
At the end of 2014, Taras Kostanchuk along with his military comrades created a civil organization "Military-Patriotic Association of the ATO participants "Justice". The purpose of the organization is to protect the interests of ordinary citizens, fight against arbitrariness and corruption of officials, as well as assistance to the former ATO participants[24].
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| "Justice" Press conference of the "Battalion Donbass" Soldiers" on YouTube // "Battalion Donbass", 15 January 2015 |
The organization has its representative offices in several cities of Ukraine. In August 2015, the "Justice" office was opened in the city of Vyshneve, Kyiv oblast. The organization includes activists, volunteers, public representatives and entrepreneurs, in addition to soldiers. The organization "Justice" currently has thousands of participants.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| "The opening of the Justice office in Vyshneve" on YouTube // Ukraine Justice, 6 September 2015 |
The results of the activity of CO "Justice" were large-scale actions against the arbitrariness of some public authorities, demonstrations and petitions to the President of Ukraine on the protection of the rights of volunteers, large-scale actions of direct action to protect the interests of Ukrainian citizens. In particular, Taras Kostanchuk worked personally on the amendment to the Law of Ukraine on social protection of reservists suffering as a result of participation in the ATO, and of their family members. The main purpose of these changes is the equivalence of volunteers, who were sent to the ATO zone illegally from May to December 2014 in the status of reservists, to military personnel, and thus to overcome injustice in providing social benefits and other assistance to soldiers[25][26].
The law was voted by deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and signed by the President of Ukraine as a result of repeated pressure on officials during the public actions, disclosure of this problem in the media and personal involvement of Taras Kostanchuk in drafting the law[27].
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| "From Reservists to Participants - Windows-News - September 24, 2015" on YouTube // Windows-News, 24 September 2015 |
In the beginning of 2015, Taras Kostanchuk, along with the fighters, who went through the Battle of Ilovaisk, and the families of the dead soldiers, founded the Ilovaisk Brotherhood, which at present has more than two thousand members, comrades from different units of the Ukrainian armed forces and volunteer battalions[28].
The members of the Ilovaisk Brotherhood helped each other to coordinate actions, shared information about the wounded, captured and dead soldiers.
By the first anniversary of the Ilovaisk tragedy (August 2015), the members of the Ilovaisk Brotherhood introduced the award "Ilovaisk 2014" as a cross. Only Ilovaisk fighters, or the families of dead or missing soldiers, have the right to receive it[29][30][31][32].
After several joint actions of the Ilovaisk Brotherhood from December 2015 to February 2016 with the demands to punish the culpable in the most massive tragedies of modern Ukraine (Savur-Mohyla, IL-76, Donetsk airport, Ilovaisk, Debaltseve), under pressure from ATO veterans[33][34], Taras Kostanchuk was invited to get acquainted with a criminal proceedings concerning the Ilovaisk tragedy, and received admission to the proceedings files[35][36]
References
- ^ СПРАВЕДЛИВІСТЬ Військово патріотичне обєднання учасників АТО
- ^ http://euromaidanpress.com/2016/04/11/taras-kostanchuk-i-saw-professional-russian-soldiers-in-the-donbas/
- ^ Тарас Костанчук (in Ukrainian). Офіційний сайт ГО "Військово-патріотичне об’єднання учасників АТО "Справедливість".
- ^ Кандидат на пост Президента України (in Ukrainian). Central election commission.
- ^ Відомості про кандидата в народні депутати України (in Ukrainian). Central election commission.
- ^ "Taras Kostanchuk" (in Ukrainian). JUSTICE Military patriotic association of the ATO participants.
- ^ Вікторія Матола (18 August 2016). "If the command sent the help, we would have been halfday to liberate Ilovaisk" (in Ukrainian). LB.ua.
- ^ "Taras Kostanchuk" (in Ukrainian). JUSTICE Military patriotic association of the ATO participants.
- ^ "Taras Kostanchuk" (in Ukrainian). JUSTICE Military patriotic association of the ATO participants.
- ^ ""Donbas" fighters arrived to the front line". Battalion "Donbas-Ukraina". 8 July 2014.
- ^ "Wartime diary-6". Battalion "Donbas-Ukraina". 9 July 2014.
- ^ "Wartime-diary – 8". Battalion "Donbas-Ukraina". 18 July 2014.
- ^ "Wartime diary-12". Battalion "Donbas-Ukraina". 22 July 2014.
- ^ "Lisichansk liberation". Battalion "Donbas-Ukraina". 25 July 2014.
- ^ "ATO forces are preparing to storm Pervomaysk (PHOTOS)". Voices of Ukraine. 5 August 2014.
- ^ Bohdanna Kostiuk (11 April 2016). "Taras Kostanchuk: "I saw professional Russian soldiers in the Donbas"". Euromaidanpress.
- ^ "I will give my life to punish all guilty of Ilovaisk tragedy – commander of Donbas battalion assault team Kostanchuk. VIDEO". Censor.net. 30 August 2015.
- ^ "Ukraine commemorates third anniversary of Ilovaisk tragedy (Video)". UNIAN. 29 August 2017.
- ^ "Battalion Donbas and Regular Army Units Entered Ilovaisk with Fierce Fighting". Censor.net. 18 August 2014.
- ^ Lily Hyde (24 August 2014). "Abandoned Donbas Battalion fights on". Kyiv Post.
- ^ "How the hell looked like. "Ilovaisk Kettle" in the memoirs of the fighters" (in Ukrainian). Novynarnia. 29 August 2016.
- ^ Marian Kushnir, Saliar Ali (20 August 2015). "In Ilovaisk we were rescued by a 90-year-old lady – a fighter of Donbas, who left the encirclement by taxi" (in Ukrainian). Radio Svoboda.
- ^ Valeriia Kondratova (29 August 2017). "In the encirclement in Ilovaisk we were told: you are panic-mongers, everything is okay" (in Russian). Liga.net.
- ^ "Taras Kostanchuk" (in Ukrainian). JUSTICE Military patriotic association of the ATO participants.
- ^ "President approves additional measures to improve social protection of ATO participants". Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. 19 March 2015.
- ^ "Poroshenko signs law on social protection of ATO participants' family members". Kyiv Post. 4 August 2016.
- ^ "Draft Law on amendments to certain laws of Ukraine on the social protection of reservists who have suffered as a result of participation in the antiterrorist operation, and members of their families" (in Ukrainian). Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 20 November 2015.
- ^ "Head of the association "Ilovaisk Brotherhood" Taras Kostanchuk in the program "Look at the Week"" (in Ukrainian). ZIK. 6 February 2016.
- ^ psi01morpex (27 August 2016). "Ilovaisk, we remember…" (in Ukrainian). Fordevynd.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Oleksandr Prylepa (2 September 2015). "Memorial sign "Ilovaisk 2014"" (in Ukrainian). Photosluzhba UNIAN.
- ^ "ATO participant from Svitiaz was awarded the memorial sign "Ilovaisk 2014"" (in Ukrainian). Raion.Shatsk. 16 May 2016.
- ^ Hennadii Kohut (9 January 2016). "Parents and family of Roman Motychak, who died under Ilovaisk, were handed a memorable sign "Ilovaisk 2014"" (in Ukrainian). Turka-the pearl of the Carpathians.
- ^ "Veterans demand to punish those responsible for Ilovaisk tragedy". 112 Ukraine. 18 January 2016.
- ^ "Activists demand to punish 'Ilovaisk tragedy' perpetrators". Human rights Information centre. 18 January 2016.
- ^ "Today all the actions of the Ilovaisk Brotherhood have the first (intermediate) positive results" (in Ukrainian). Censor.net. 11 February 2016.
- ^ ""Ilovaisk tragedy is being investigated, I saw all the names and signatures of people I trust in the case," - the commander of the assault group of the Donbas Battalion Kostanchuk. VIDEO" (in Russian). Censor.net. 11 February 2016.
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