Maksym S. Tykhonenko (Demon)

39-year-old senior soldier Maksym Tykhonenko (call sign Demon) was killed on February 27, 2023 near the village of Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk region. While rescuing a comrade, he received fatal injuries during enemy mortar shelling. Maksym was born in the city of Kremenchuk, Poltava region. After school, he studied to be an automotive mechanic at a vocational school. He then went to the army, serving in the railway troops. Later, he obtained a higher education at the M. Ostrogradsky Kremenchuk State University, receiving a degree as a mechanical engineer. He worked in his specialty at the Kremenchuk Automobile Plant. Then he resigned and got a job at Nova Poshta LLC, first as a loader and then as a scanner. He loved to go fishing, pick mushrooms, and work on his dacha. His colleagues described him as a patriot of Ukraine, a professional, demanding, and results-oriented person with good communication skills. Maksym first went to the military enlistment office in 2014, but was not taken because his wife was pregnant. However, at the beginning of the full-scale war in March 2022, he was drafted into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 71st Separate Jager Brigade of the Airborne Assault Troops. After training, he became a senior combat medic. He went through the hottest spots with his comrades: Izyum, Soledar, Vuhledar. His loved ones said that Maksym had a strong sense of friendship and unity, and on the front lines, he saved many soldiers by providing first aid. He was buried in the Alley of Glory of the Svistovskyi cemetery in his hometown. Maksym Tykhonenko is survived by his parents, wife, and son. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage, 3rd degree.