aiAndriy Sosnov is a singer and musician. He was born on August 1, 1973 in the city of Makiivka, Donetsk region, just like his twin brother Igor. At the age of 8, the twins first heard Vladimir Vysotsky's songs and fell in love with the music. The brothers also wanted to sing. Andriy learned to play the guitar, and Igor the flute, so they began to accompany each other.

aiAfter graduating from school, they served in the army. They did not like military service. Andriy vowed never again would he wear a military uniform.

aiThe brothers tried a number of professions, but the main thing for them was their music. They performed as a duo at all kinds of venues and festivals, singing songs by famous artists along with their own, mostly based on Andriy's poems.

aiIn 2013, Andriy went back to school for a special music education – he graduated from the College of Culture with a degree in guitar.

aiAnd in 2014, the Russian invasion of Donbas began. Donetsk had its own pro-Maidan demonstrations – for the unity of Ukraine. It was very dangerous there, people could be killed (later it turned out that there were such cases), but this didn't scare Andriy. He took an active part in the Donetsk Maidan protests.

aiThe creeping occupation of the Donbas continued, and it became dangerous in Makiivka, their home town, so the brothers left. They settled in Krasnohrad district of the Kharkiv region. There they started working and performing, in the city of Kharkiv too. They participated in concerts at the Vizbor Club, Goncharov's salon, the Eskhar Song Festival and many other places across Ukraine. The Sosnovy brothers' duet became popular.

aiWhen the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Andriy could not stand aside. The very next day, he went to the enlistment office and asked to join the territorial defence. He was not accepted because he had no military experience. That's when he and his wife started volunteering. But Andriy went a second time and, when he appeared at the recruitment center in early March, he was not rejected. So, 30 years after his vow to never wear a military uniform again, Andriy finally put it on: he had to defend his country from the latest barbarians.

aiAndriy had no intention of dying. According to his wife, while at the front, he ordered various musical instruments online and sent them to his home, ready to be played after the war.

aiAndriy Sosnov served as a rifleman in the 209th Battalion of the 113th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He took part in the de-occupation of the Kharkiv region and in battles in the Luhansk region. In 2023, he was wounded but, despite this, he continued to fight. He was given the Minister of Defence's "Wounded in Action" award and the third class award of the commander of his 113th Brigade, "For Courage in Battle."

aiIn spare moments, Andriy took up his favourite pastime – writing and singing songs. He recorded them on his phone and sent them to friends. Once, during a short vacation, he even managed to perform at the beloved Eskhar festival again.

aiStill, the heavy fighting continued. And in the summer of 2024, a few days before Andriy's 51st birthday, an enemy drone fatally wounded him. If he had been evacuated in time, he might have been saved... He suffered greatly and died in the ambulance.

aiJunior Sergeant Andriy Sosnov passed away on July 29, 2024 near the village of Nevske, Luhansk region, defending his native Donbas.

aiAt the soldier's funeral, he was remembered as "a very decent man, a pacifist, an idealist, a romantic, kind to animals and people."