Anatolii V. Nikolenko (Karat)

Born on July 15, 1960, in the city of Kharkiv. Graduated from secondary school No. 106 in Kharkiv.$From May 1979 to May 1981, he served in the Armed Forces of the USSR.$From December 1979 to May 1981, he was part of the limited contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan. He served as a mechanic-driver in the 860th separate motorized rifle regiment of the 40th combined arms army (military unit field post 89933 - city of Faizabad, Badakhshan province).$After demobilization, he returned to Kharkiv. Worked in automotive service, most recently as a security guard.$Being a patriot of his country, despite his age, he could not remain indifferent to the events that threatened the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine in 2014.$In May 2014, he volunteered to join the volunteer battalion of territorial defense "Donbas." In June 2014, he underwent short training at the training center of the National Guard of Ukraine in the village of Novi Petrivtsi, Vyshhorod district, Kyiv region.$From June 2014, he participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in eastern Ukraine. He served as a machine gunner in the 6th section of the 3rd platoon of the special forces company of the 2nd special forces battalion "Donbas" of the Northern operational-territorial association of the National Guard of Ukraine (military unit 3027), reserve soldier. Call sign "Karat." He participated in the liberation of settlements in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including the cities of Artemivsk, Lysychansk, Popasna, and Kurakhove. From August 13, 2014, he participated in the battles for the liberation of the city of Ilovaisk in Donetsk region.$On August 20, 2014, a "Toyota" minibus, which was evacuating the wounded from Ilovaisk (according to an officer with the call sign "Dentist," there were 8 fighters from the "Donbas" battalion and a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the vehicle) was ambushed by two platoons of regular troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the area of the village of Hrabske, Amvrosiivskyi district, Donetsk region. In this battle, three fighters from the "Donbas" battalion (Oleksandr Utkyn, Hennadiy Kipishynov, and Artem Kuzyakov) were killed, and A.V. Nikolenko, having received a serious leg injury, detonated a hand grenade, killing himself and several Russians who were trying to capture him. Thanks to this act, the surviving soldiers managed to break away from the enemy and reach their troops.$He is buried in cemetery No. 18 (block 10) in Kharkiv.