Mykhailo O. Marchenko (Vorskla)

Lieutenant Colonel Mykhailo Marchenko (call sign Vorskla) was killed on April 2, 2022, while performing a combat mission in Donetsk region. The officer was 28 years old. Mykhailo was born in the village of Dovzhyk in the Sumy region. He graduated from the Sumy Cadet Corps named after Ivan Kharitonenkо and the National Academy of Land Forces named after Hetman Petro Sahaidachny in Lviv. He was a career military serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He lived with his family in Zaporizhzhia. The officer served in the 55th Separate Artillery Brigade "Zaporizka Sich." He participated in the ATO / JFO in Donbas since 2015. He always cared for his subordinates, was a reliable comrade, and a confident commander. From the first days of the full-scale Russian invasion, Lieutenant Colonel Marchenko continued to defend Ukraine from the invaders along with his unit. He was a battery commander. "Misha was focused, reliable, brave, yet very gentle, cheerful, and caring. He adored his family, loved his job, and his homeland. He had been fighting since 2015 and saved many lives. In one of his last messages, he wrote that he was not worried about himself at all, but was concerned for his subordinates, wanting everyone to return home alive and healthy, otherwise he wouldn't be able to look their relatives in the eyes. Misha worked almost all the time, but even from a distance, he managed to give us warmth and affection, to make us pleasant surprises, creating the feeling that he was always nearby. He was in a hurry to live, to create all conditions for a comfortable life for his family. There was no fear with him; he could solve any problem in just a few minutes. He said he was protecting not only his family and child but also other children who had no one to protect them. ‘Who, if not us?' was his favorite phrase, and of course, ‘We do not argue, but put a period' was the favorite phrase of all artillerymen," said the wife of the fallen officer, Anastasia. During his service, Lieutenant Colonel Marchenko was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi of II and III degrees. Posthumously, he was awarded the Order of Courage of III degree. The hero was buried in his native village. Mykhailo is survived by his parents, sister, wife, and daughter.