Leonid M. Melnyk (LM)

36-year-old soldier Leonid Melnyk (call sign Elem) was killed on April 28, 2024 in a battle with the occupants near the village of Stelmakhivka in the Luhansk region. During the enemy mortar shelling, he received fatal shrapnel wounds. Leonid was from Zhytomyr. He graduated from secondary school No. 7. Then he entered the Zhytomyr Vocational School No. 1, where he obtained a working profession. In civilian life, he worked in the private business sector. He loved sports very much and had been practicing judo and football since childhood. He was a sincere and open-minded person and had many friends. During the full-scale Russian invasion, the man became a fighter of the 140th battalion of the 115th separate brigade of the territorial defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in intelligence. "Dad was always cheerful and supported us in difficult moments. He was a good person and never lost heart," his son Oleksandr said. Leonid was buried in the military cemetery in Zhytomyr. He is survived by his mother, stepfather, and son.