Mykola I. Zaichenko (Zaiats)

Sergeant Mykola Zaichenko (call sign Zaets) was killed on May 3, 2023 near the city of Kreminna in the Luhansk region. While carrying out a combat mission, he came under enemy fire from "Grads" and received fatal injuries. The defender was 30 years old. Mykola was born in the village of Strutyn, Lviv region. He graduated from the Zolochiv College of the Lviv National Agrarian University. He worked as a builder. He loved music. He was passionate about cooking and liked to cook, which he was good at. With the start of the full-scale invasion, the man voluntarily went to the front. He served in the 125th separate brigade of the territorial defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was a machine gunner. "Mykola was incredibly sincere and kind to me, he would have given his last. Always smiling. The last call was an hour before his death. I told him to take care of himself, and he replied: 'Sister, everything will be fine...' Mykola was a true warrior, a patriot, he worthily served and fulfilled his duty to protect the Motherland. His comrades-in-arms remember him as a person with whom it was always fun, because he knew how to brighten up the everyday life and routine of the war. He often said: 'I don't care where to go, what tasks to perform, the main thing is to be with my guys.' He even came back from leave early, because he was worried that others could also visit home. He never succumbed to panic or fear, had his own opinion and knew how to defend it. He easily found a common language with his comrades-in-arms and civilians. Within a few weeks in the East, he already had acquaintances throughout the district and could get everything he needed - from delicious cookies to a generator and fuel. He had a big sincere heart, he could always be relied upon - both in everyday matters and during the performance of combat missions. He cooked exquisite homemade dishes and accurately fired from the MK-19, covering the guys who came under fire. We cannot convey the emptiness that remains for us, the grief that has come to our family," his sister Yulia wrote. The warrior was buried in his native village next to his father. Mykola is survived by his mother, sister, wife, son, relatives, friends and comrades-in-arms.