Maksym S. Pronchenko (Amur)

Soldier Maksym Pronchenko (call sign Amur) was killed on June 5, 2023, during an assault near the settlement of Kurdyumivka in the Donetsk region. He was forever 25 years old. Maksym was born in Odesa. He studied at the Odesa Maritime College of the Fishing Industry, where he obtained the profession of a ship's electromechanic. He loved animals very much and tried to help them in his free time. His last place of work was the "VetExpert" hospital, where he worked as a doctor's assistant. He was passionate about computers and programming. On December 5, 2022, Maksym became a fighter of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Knights of the Winter Campaign. He held the position of a combat medic in the reconnaissance platoon. "My only son was an incredible person. He was a very cheerful, kind, and brave guy. Since childhood, he adored animals, so he couldn't pass by a single cat, he would take them all home. When he grew up, he went to work in a veterinary clinic to continue helping the animals. When the war started, he volunteered: 'Let others sit, maybe they have their own reasons for this, but I won't stand aside while the enemies are destroying my Homeland,' my son used to say. Our whole family is proud of him. For us, Maksym will forever remain a hero who was not afraid, went, fought, and saved the lives of his comrades-in-arms many times as a combat medic. We will always love him, miss his smile and sense of humor. We will always be proud of the true Hero Amur," said Viktoria Pokoieva. The warrior was buried in the Alley of Heroes of the Western Cemetery in Odesa. Maksym is survived by his mother.