Dmytro Marusyak, Ukraine's last veteran of the Halychyna Division, dies in Kolomyia district

Last representative of the Halychyna soldiers' generation passes away

According to historian Ihor Ivankov, Dmytro Marusyak has died in Ukraine. The resident of Lysky village in Kolomyia district was the last veteran of the Ukrainian Halychyna Division living on the territory of the modern state. He was 101 years old at the time of his death.

Taras Zen announced the veteran's passing. On 2 July 2026, Dmytro Marusyak celebrated his 101st birthday.

Biography and military career

Dmytro Marusyak was born on 2 July 1925 in Korshiv village (now in Kolomyia district). He received his education at a rural school, completing seven grades. During the Second World War, he was forcibly taken to Germany for labour along with his brother Vasyl.

According to materials from the "Living History" project, the man joined the Halychyna Division during the war. This military formation existed from 1943 to 1945, was part of the German Waffen-SS, and was formed from Ukrainian volunteers from Galicia. After completing a training course in the Alps, Dmytro Marusyak served in anti-aircraft artillery units.

Soviet era and return home

Later, in Graz, Marusyak fell into the hands of Soviet troops, having concealed his affiliation with the division. He was conscripted into the Soviet Army, where he served on the territory of Romania.

After deserting from the army, he was arrested. Dmytro Marusyak served his sentence in the Khabarovsk Krai of the Russian SFSR. After returning to his homeland, he settled in Lysky village. For a long time, the veteran kept silent about his past, but later became a member of the Lviv station of the brotherhood of former soldiers of the Ukrainian Halychyna Division.

The life story and personal memoirs of Dmytro Marusyak are preserved in the public materials of the "Living History" project. His 101st birthday in July this year was reported by Suspilne Ivano-Frankivsk.