Maksym B. Prokuratov (Meha)

Maxim grew up in a large family and lost his father at the age of 4. Despite the difficulties he faced in navigating life, he achieved a lot. Maxim became a highly skilled driver, holding a license with all categories. In April, eager to defend his hometown, he joined the Zaporizhzhia self-defense forces and spent nearly two months on duty at a checkpoint in the Nikopol direction. "A very calm, balanced, decent person…" — this is how he was remembered by his fellow self-defense members. Later, realizing that the fate of the country was being decided not only in Zaporizhzhia, Maxim Borisovych joined the ranks of the reserves of the "Donbas" battalion, taking a position in the automotive section of the logistics platoon and receiving the call sign Mega. During fierce battles for Ilovaisk, as a result of enemy shelling, only one truck survived in the unit — that of reserve soldier Prokuratov. For several days, the fearless driver delivered vital supplies, including ammunition and food, to the front lines for his comrades, navigating through dirt roads under enemy fire in his Ural truck. Each time he returned from another dangerous mission, his comrades saw a cheerful smile on his face, which showed his disdain for the enemy — as if to say, no matter how much they shot at him, he would still manage to slip through! Unfortunately, his luck ran out on August 26 in Ilovaisk, just as the encirclement around the city closed — Mega's life was cut short by the explosion of an enemy mine… Less than a month before that, on July 30, Maxim Borisovych celebrated his 37th birthday. His fellow self-defense members managed to locate his body in the morgue of Volnovakha and return the soldier home. He was escorted on his final journey from the square in front of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration building, where the self-defense headquarters is located. After a mourning rally, which was attended by regional and city leaders, as well as many ordinary citizens along with family, friends, and combat comrades, the brave warrior found eternal rest at the Right Bank Cemetery in Zaporizhzhia.