Mykhailo R. Chuprin (Chup)

Chuprin Mykhailo Ruslanovych was born on April 19, 1990, in the city of Krasnyi Luch, Luhansk region. He stuwas killed at Donetsk State Technical University, majoring in "Industrial and Civil Engineering." During the occupation of his hometown in Eastern Ukraine, Mykhailo Chuprin moved his mother to territory controlled by Ukraine and went to defend his homeland. At that time, a tank unit was being formed within the Azov regiment. He was at the origins of the history of the "Kholodnyi Yar" tank company. Starting in March 2015, based on "Azov," when the "kholodnyarci" received their first three tanks, training began. Mykhailo Chuprin became the gunner of one of these tanks. His combat debut took place during the battles for the village of Shyrokyne in the spring-summer of 2015. The victory belonged to the "Azov" fighters: the village, once a flourishing health resort on the coast of the Azov Sea, 20 km from Mariupol, became Ukrainian territory. The tankers were based in a semi-destroyed war children's camp called "Purple Sails." After his tank commander, Shira, was seriously wounded, Mykhailo Chuprin was appointed commander of his tank. He later became an officer and in September 2020 took command of the tank company. With the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, 31-year-old tank company commander of the National Guard of Ukraine "Azov," Senior Lieutenant Mykhailo Chuprin defended the city of Mariupol in Donetsk region along with his comrades. The unit held the defense along Naberezhna Street, which was mainly being attacked by Russian troops. From February 25 to March 12, 2022, the tankers of the company under Mykhailo Chuprin's command heroically repelled eight attempts to break through the defense. In incredibly difficult conditions, the "Azov" fighters managed to withstand enemy shelling from artillery and Grad multiple rocket launchers. In particular, the T-64 tank crew commanded by Senior Lieutenant Mykhailo Chuprin destroyed seven enemy tanks, five armored vehicles, and about a dozen trucks, while the occupiers lost up to two platoons of personnel. On March 13, 2022, during an attempt to break through the city's defense from the village of Staryi Krym, Senior Lieutenant Chuprin personally destroyed three tanks, two armored personnel carriers, and about a platoon of enemy infantry. Such actions by the tankers significantly slowed the enemy's advance towards Mariupol. On March 19, 2022, Mykhailo Chuprin, along with the tank gunner, fought his last battle in a tank that had already been hit and could not move. However, they used the combat vehicle as a stationary firing point. Ultimately, the Russians managed to hit the "Azov" T-64 and eliminate the two fearless warriors.