Andrii V. Tolpiekin (Chur)

43-year-old serviceman Andriy Tolpyekin (call sign Chur) was killed on September 30, 2022, near the village of Nove in Donetsk region. During the operation to de-occupy the city of Lyman, the defender sustained a fatal injury. Andriy was born in the village of Torhovytsia in Kirovohrad Oblast. After school, he enrolled in the Kharkiv Institute of Pilots of the Ukrainian Air Force named after I.M. Kozhedub. Due to a lack of flight hours in 2001, he decided not to continue his studies. He settled in Dnipro and engaged in repair work, working in the IT sector. His last place of work was a factory producing heavy metal structures. Andriy was talented and creative, crafting large and small wooden products by hand. His carvings adorn parks in various cities of Ukraine and the homes of many people. In his free time, he enjoyed reading. He was a veteran of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO), so during the full-scale war, he could not remain on the sidelines. As part of the 25th Separate Airborne Assault Sich Brigade, he continued to fight for Ukraine against the occupiers. He was the senior gunner of the grenade launcher platoon in the fire support company. He participated in the liberation of Kharkiv region. “A faithful son of Ukraine, a brave and courageous warrior. He stood up to defend its interests during the most important and tragic periods: during the Revolution of Dignity, the ATO in 2014, and the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation. He did not wait; he was the first to defend. An intellectual, an optimist, a cheerful joker, a good family man, a friend, and simply a good person,” said the defender's sister, Iryna. The serviceman was buried in his native village in Kirovohrad Oblast. Andriy is survived by his parents, Valentyna and Viktor, his sister Iryna, his wife Natalia, and his son Danilo and daughter Yaryna.