Ivan O. Nikitenko (Kum)

Defender Ivan Nikitenko (call sign Kum) did not live to see his 25th birthday, dying 8 days short. The brave warrior perished on January 15, 2024, during an enemy artillery barrage near the settlement of Bilohorivka in Luhansk Oblast. Ivan was born in the village of Lozovivka in Luhansk region. Later, he moved with his family to the village of Tytarivka. He graduated from Vocational School No. 118 in Starobilsk, where he obtained the profession of an electrician. He worked as a pizzaiolo in the Starhород café. In his free time, he enjoyed fishing. During the full-scale invasion, he defended Ukraine as part of the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Hetman Ivan Mazepa. He was an operator of unmanned aerial systems. "My husband was very much looking forward to the birth of our son. He was always worried about our well-being while I was pregnant. He imagined how he would pick us up from the maternity ward, but it was not meant to be. Now he is our guardian angel. We miss him very much, and I still cannot comprehend that we will no longer see such a kind, sincere, and cheerful man and father. Especially his smile. He will always be in our hearts and memories. Heroes never die," his wife Bohdana said. The defender was buried on the Alley of Heroes in Dnipro. Ivan is survived by his wife, son, brother, relatives, friends, and comrades-in-arms.