Lieutenant Colonel

Ivan Starostenko

The commander of 1st Mechanized Battalion of the Ground Forces

Born:

December 1, 1996

Birthplace:

unknown

Nationality:

Ukrainian

Branch of service:

Mechanized Troops

He was born in Kherson and would become a member of a mixed martial arts team, participating in regional competitions. In November 2019, a case of hooliganism was brought against him; however, the case was closed due to the expiration of the term for bringing him to justice. In the fall of 2020, he was elected as the deputy of the Lazurne Village Council for the National Corps Party, and in January 2021 would head the regional National Corps Party. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he joined the Azov Special Operations Regiment “Kyiv”, and no later than 2024, he was appointed commander of the 1st Mechanized Battalion of the 3rd Assault Brigade.