Maksym H. Kovalenko (Maloi)

38-year-old Master Sergeant Maksym Kovalenko (call sign Maloy) was killed on September 29, 2023 near the village of Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region. During the performance of a combat mission, he received fatal injuries as a result of enemy mortar shelling. Maksym was born in Zaporizhzhia. He graduated from Zaporizhzhia Vocational School No. 31 and obtained the profession of a car mechanic. He worked as a plumber in the emergency service of his hometown for most of his life. In 2015, he participated in the ATO in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Later, he returned to civilian life. For the last two years before the full-scale invasion, he worked at the local land enterprise "Plavers" and lived in the village of Myrne, Zaporizhzhia region. He was fond of painting and tattooing. After February 24, 2022, the man unhesitatingly returned to the army and went to defend his native country. He served in the ranks of the 15th Operational Purpose Brigade named after Hero of Ukraine Lieutenant Bohdan Zavada. He was the platoon sergeant, the mortar commander. "Comrades-in-arms speak of him: stern, but always fair. Relatives know that family was the most important value for him," said the wife of the deceased Aliona. The National Guardsman was buried at the Levanevskoho cemetery in Zaporizhzhia. Maksym is survived by his mother, wife, daughter and grandmother.