Maksym P. Tkach

18-year-old serviceman Maksym Tkach was killed on March 9, 2022, while performing a combat mission near Volnovakha in the Donetsk region. Maksym was born in the village of Torske, Donetsk region. In childhood, he moved with his family to Kreminna, Luhansk region. He stuwas killed at the local school No. 3. Then he graduated from the Lysychansk Mining College. He loved football. During the full-scale war, the young man defended Ukraine in the ranks of the 53rd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Volodymyr Monomakh. "He loved life very much, dreamed of a big house. He promised that he would come on vacation and there would be a wedding, but it was not destined to be. When he had to choose between dying or surrendering in captivity, he said: 'I didn't come here to surrender. We will go forward until the last breath.' Probably, he is the youngest defender who, despite his young age, did not betray and was not afraid. He was my air, now he is gone. And the family cannot bury him properly, as the occupied territory," said the fallen defender's mother, Olha. The young hero left behind his mother Olha Oleksandrivna, stepfather Oleksii Volodymyrovych, and his beloved girlfriend Veronika.