Andrii V. Chernykov (Chornyi)

Junior Sergeant Andrii Chernikov (call sign Black) was killed on February 14, 2023, while defending against the occupiers in the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. In January, the warrior turned 24 years old. Andrii was born in the city of Pervomaisky, Kharkiv region. He graduated from the Kharkiv State Polytechnic College with a degree in "Specialized Computer Systems". Before his death, he was a student at the Ukrainian State University of Railway Transport. He was interested in playing the guitar and billiards. He was engaged in ballroom dancing. He loved an active lifestyle: he went on hikes and traveled to the sea. He lived with his fiancée in Kharkiv. After conscription, the young man decided to stay in the army. He signed a contract with the 3rd Operational Brigade named after Petro Bolbochan of the National Guard of Ukraine. He was the commander of a platoon in the operational company on armored vehicles. He met the full-scale war in the area of the Joint Forces Operation in the Luhansk region. Then he took part in the battles for the Kharkiv region. Since November, he has been fighting in the Donetsk region. The last three months of his life, Andrii carried out combat missions in the city of Bakhmut. In January 2023, Junior Sergeant Andrii Chernikov was awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree. "Our Andriusha was an incredible and the best son, beloved husband and friend. He never refused to help anyone, always advised and taught his friends and acquaintances. He was always smiling and said that everything would be fine, although he was in the very hell. He had many friends who loved and respected him madly. We had big plans for the future with him. He was a real and courageous hero. For me, he was and is the perfect man. Such as him will never be again. He was a support, a support, he never let me give up. Andrii taught me many things and showed me a lot. We miss him very much. He will always be in our memory and in our hearts. I will never meet such a person again and love so sincerely, truly. He was my first and last true love," said the fiancée of the fallen Iryna. The warrior was buried in his hometown. Andrii is survived by his parents, fiancée, grandmother and grandfather.