Ihor O. Filatov (Maloi)

23-year-old Lieutenant Ihor Filatov (call sign Lieutenant) was killed on September 23, 2023 between the settlements of Khromove and Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region. During the performance of a combat mission, the officer received shrapnel wounds as a result of enemy shelling. His comrades-in-arms managed to evacuate him from the battlefield, carrying him for several kilometers. However, an enemy kamikaze drone tracked them down and attacked them 50 meters from the evacuation point. There were no more chances for survival. According to his comrades-in-arms, the wounded officer sang songs in his last minutes of life. Ihor was born in Luhansk. When the Russian-Ukrainian war started in 2014, he left with his family to Starobilsk in the Luhansk region, and from 2015 he lived in Kyiv. After school, he entered the National Academy of Internal Affairs, which he successfully graduated from in 2021. During his studies at the military department, he completed the full training program for reserve officers and received the initial officer rank. He underwent an internship at the district police department. He worked part-time at the New Post. He was engaged in sports. He loved the history of Ukraine and studied the English language. In January 2023, Ihor as a reserve officer was drafted into the airborne assault troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He held the position of platoon commander in the 77th separate airmobile brigade. Despite his young age, he quickly gained the respect of his subordinates, as he went into battle together with everyone. "Ihor was a very strong and courageous person with a big kind heart and a sense of humor. He was a very honest, principled and righteous person, even a little trusting. He loved Ukraine very much, often repeating that we would soon be in Ukrainian Luhansk. He took care of his comrades-in-arms," said Tetyana Filatova, the deceased's aunt and godmother. The officer was buried at the Forest Cemetery in Kyiv. Ihor is survived by his mother, grandmother, grandfather, godmother, other relatives, friends and comrades-in-arms. He did not have time to start his own family.