Illia S. Khomenkov (Frantsuz)

27-year-old soldier Illia Khomenkov (call sign Frenchman) was killed on September 6, 2022, in a battle with the occupiers between the villages of Vremivka and Neskuchne in the Donetsk region. He was considered missing in action until February 2024. Illia was born and lived in Dnipro. From childhood, he was passionate about sports, engaged in swimming, mixed martial arts, and grappling. After school, he graduated from the Dnipropetrovsk State University of Internal Affairs. Then he worked in the police for several years. However, he was always attracted to service in the French Foreign Legion. Finally, in 2020, he fulfilled his dream. On February 24, 2022, when the full-scale war began, Illia was serving in France. However, at the end of the month, despite the warnings of the leadership, Illia left the territory of the country on his own, becoming a deserter. In France, he faced up to 5 years in prison for this, but the decision to defend the borders of his homeland clearly defined Illia's further guidelines. Once in Ukraine, he immediately voluntarily joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He held the position of a shooter-observer in the 108th separate brigade of territorial defense. He was on the Donetsk direction, where the key battles unfolded. "If I could rewind time, I would be Illia's wife again and again. Such as he is, happens once in a lifetime, and that from heaven. Now I have the strongest and kindest guardian angel," said his wife Alina. The hero was escorted on his last journey at the Krasnopilskyi cemetery in Dnipro. Illia is survived by his parents, sister, wife, grandmothers, close ones, and friends, and his beloved dog Khard.