Anton L. Hevak (Perun)

Senior Lieutenant Anton Hevak (call sign Perun) was killed on March 5, 2022, during a battle with a tank column of Russian occupiers in the area of Mariupol, Donetsk region. The platoon commander of the 140th reconnaissance battalion was covering the retreat of his comrades. After hitting an enemy tank with an "NLAW", the 27-year-old officer was wounded by a bullet and on the way to the hospital. Anton Hevak was from Khmelnytskyi. He dreamed of a military career since childhood. At the age of 18, he was drafted into service in Odesa. In 2014, he went to serve in the 8th Special Forces Regiment of the SSO. In 2015, Anton returned from the front. According to his mother, his behavior changed: he became silent and closed off, spent a lot of time meditating and doing sports, and also traveled a lot and read. Then Anton decided that he wanted to become a commander. He entered the intelligence faculty of the Odesa Military Academy. After four years of study, he joined the 140th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Perun was not only an exemplary officer but also a creative person. He played the guitar, wrote songs about the war, and had a very beautiful voice. "Anton was an amazing person, of whom there are few. A dedicated commander to his cause. Honest and kind, thoughtful. Brave. He believed in people and inspired them to become better. A talented man. And everyone who knew him well will never forget Anton - he left a huge impression on us," said Kateryna Halushka, a friend of the fallen warrior. "He was an example of a new generation of officers, one who rushes into battle, knows how to take responsibility for others, and knows what to teach his soldiers. He remembered that when he fought in 2014, not all officers behaved properly. That's why he strived to be a commander who would take care of his soldiers. My commander always went first during reconnaissance missions in the most dangerous places. He said: 'If I get hit, it's not a big deal, because they will put a new commander in my place, but I won't forgive myself if the soldiers of my platoon die because of my mistake,'" Yaryna Chornohuz, Perun's battle-sister, told journalists. The defender was buried in the village of Pylypy-Khrebtiivski in Khmelnytskyi. Anton left behind his parents and sister.