Anatolii O. Chukharenko (Tokha)

38-year-old soldier Anatoliy Chukharenko (call sign Tokha) was killed on April 2, 2023, while carrying out a combat mission near the village of Novodanilivka in the Zaporizhzhia region. His life was cut short by a shot from a Russian sniper, with a bullet hitting the fighter in the eye. Anatoliy was a native of Mykolaiv. He received secondary general education at a local school. In 2005, he had a strong desire to join the army, but the young man was initially refused because he was the guardian of his grandmother. Eventually, the then 20-year-old boy signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. During his service, he received the rank of paratrooper-excellent. He was a senior scout of the military intelligence of the airborne troops. After the army, he got married, and the couple raised two sons. When the full-scale war began, Anatoliy was working abroad. He decided to defend his Homeland and returned home. On April 22, 2022, he was drafted into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade. He was a scout. "My husband grew up without parents, he was raised by his grandmother. He was a very kind and cheerful person, he always helped everyone, he was a true warrior and a reliable comrade," said Olena Chukharenko. The defender was buried at the Matveevsky cemetery in Mykolaiv. Anatoliy is survived by his wife and two sons.