Shot down 16 "Orlans" and a Russian helicopter, but the title of Hero of Ukraine was awarded only after his death.

The Long Road to a Dream

Andrei was born with a desire to be a soldier. As a small boy, he adeptly commanded his two older sisters during their playtime, where they acted as his soldiers. As he grew a bit older, his father bought him an air rifle. In the garden, Andrei would set up empty cans on a stump to practice shooting.

“He was very interested in the history of Ukraine. He read many books on history—about the Cossack period, the liberation struggle of the UPR, Gorlys-Gorsky was one of his favorites. He sought the roots of our current problems in past events. We talked a lot about Ukrainian history because I was also interested in it. Even as a schoolboy, he told me that as long as Russia exists, it will try to destroy Ukraine, which is why our war with it is inevitable, and this war will be hard and long,” recalls his mother, Nadezhda.

In one of his interviews, the front-line soldier Liniychuk mentioned that our northern neighbor is mentally ill. Living in filth, it wants to drag us Ukrainians down with it. Therefore, we need to defeat it to free ourselves from its destructive influence forever.

“It is important to understand that the fate of our people depends on this, no matter how loud it sounds,” Andrei said.

His dream of joining the army only came true six years after graduating from school.

Andrei received his diploma in 2014, just as the ATO began. His talks about becoming a soldier posed a threat to his parents. However, in the Liniychuk family, the mother and father were never strict with their children. When Andrei wanted to apply to a military academy, they neither forbade nor encouraged him.

But he did not become a cadet—accustomed to handling his affairs personally, he was somewhat confused by the application process, which had become quite complicated that year due to the onset of Russian aggression.

Andrei spent a year studying at Kyiv Polytechnic before dropping out. He apologized to his parents for this, explaining: “It’s not for me.”

He wanted to apply to the military academy again. However, due to an injury, he failed the medical examination. This was a harsh blow for him. Having turned 18, he thought about joining the army on a contract basis.

“I dissuaded him. I told him to get some civilian specialty—what would he do when ATO ended? Andrei went to study forestry at Polissia National University. He enjoyed it and was genuinely concerned about environmental issues. We thought he had found his path. He completed his bachelor's degree, and both his teachers and I advised him to pursue a master's degree. He refused. He told me that he had already listened to me once, and now he would go to the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” says Andrei's older sister, Natalia.

During the full-scale war, Andrei joked that he, a certified forester, was working in his field by choosing positions in plantations and forests...

In July 2020, he signed a contract with the 95th Brigade—thus, a fighter with the call sign Celt joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“At that time, my brother was simply euphoric. I was happy that he had waited for this moment,” Natalia recalls.

The Best Job in the World

Later, in one interview, Andrei stated that he decided to start his service as a soldier to understand military affairs from the ground up.

“Andrei believed that defending the family and homeland was a true man’s duty. It was a matter of justice for him. He was always pained when someone infringed upon someone else's freedom, when the stronger bullied the weaker. He prepared meticulously for military service—leading a healthy lifestyle, boxing, hand-to-hand combat, various courses: survival school, tactical medicine, young commanders’ school. His activity and determination even worried me; I understood that a lot of danger awaited him,” says Nadezhda.

After 2022, he was offered officer training many times but categorically refused. He wanted to be right on the front lines.

“For him and me, it was the best job in the world. We lived through military actions together. That feeling of defending your state—I'm not sure how to explain it; you have to feel it. Andrei knew how to feel it,” says Alexander.

With the onset of the full-scale war, Andrei was an operator on the ZRK “Strela-10”. Later, he was sent abroad for training to master the secrets of NATO MANPADS. Celt became the first to shoot down a target in real combat conditions using Starstreak.

“Many go to train and return without any benefit. But he didn’t go in vain; he prepared responsibly. Whatever task he undertook, he became a professional,” recalled his comrade with the call sign Montana.

“He was the first among our guys to go for training. He honed his skills so well that any target would soar, and he would immediately hear it, understanding what it was and where it came from,” adds his comrade with the call sign Kovalda.

The guys remember that Andrei was daring. He would go to the Russians' side not just to zero but to “minus” for the sake of the mission.

“I was his driver for about a month. He feared nothing and was very brave. He would choose open positions if it was convenient for him to shoot from them. Some guys were afraid to go into the thickets with missiles. Once, we got lost and ended up on a minefield. But he was great; there was no panic. I’ll also say this. The guys were afraid to go into infantry, but Andrei wasn’t. He was always the first to raise his hand when volunteers were sought to go into infantry. And he didn’t want to be an officer. He wanted to be with us. We are both from the Lyubar district; he gave me my call sign,” says comrade Zemelya.

According to Montana, when they handed Andrei an ATV for work, Celt was overjoyed: just think of how many missiles he could load and get close to the Russians!

… Andrei's first wound was relatively light—he returned to duty after two months. However, the second was more severe; half of his thigh was torn off, and his leg either wouldn’t straighten or moved involuntarily, requiring him to use a cane...

“We thought he wouldn’t return to the front after the second wound. But he didn’t go for the military medical commission; he was afraid the doctors would discharge him from the army. He went back to his comrades,” recalls his mother.

Andrei Knew How

According to Alexander, he and Andrei went out to the positions almost every day—Russian “Orlans” were a constant nuisance to Ukrainian units at that time: a reconnaissance drone would fly over and direct enemy artillery to the positions.

The Russians believed that their “Orlan” was impossible to shoot down. It is a small aerial target, and to detect it, one must have excellent hearing—to react to its characteristic sound. Alexander shares that Andrei needed just a few seconds of silence to hear the “Orlan.”

“First, to hear, then to see. A partner is always needed; it’s hard to work alone, as there are no references in the sky: by the time you set up the Starstreak on your shoulder and adjust it, you lose sight of the target. The MANPADS are heavy to set up; you have to perform a million manipulations. Andrei could do them quickly. A Zala drone is harder to shoot down—it’s not gas-powered like the 'Orlan' but electric. It flies away silently. To see it in the sky, you need to have a trained eye. Andrei managed to hit it. And his helicopter! It all happened very spectacularly,” says Alexander.

“Radio Liberty” Andrei recounted how he hit a helicopter: “I hit it with the first rocket. It went well. After that Ka-52 we worked on, there weren’t any helicopters in that direction for about ten days. Before that, they would come in 4-5 times, 10-12 from one point in pairs.”