Mykola V. Ovdiienko

28-year-old soldier Mykola Ovdiienko was killed on October 23, 2023 in the area of the village of Bohdanivka in the Donetsk region. While carrying out a combat mission as part of a sapper group, he came under enemy fire and received fatal injuries. Mykola was born in the village of Ruda, Kyiv region. In 2012, he graduated from the Shamraiv Educational Complex. In recent years, he worked at a sawmill in Bila Tserkva. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Since June 2022, he served in the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Kostiantyn Ostrozkyi. He held the position of a sapper in the engineering and sapper platoon. In September 2022, he took part in combat operations in the Kharkiv region. He was wounded, but after rehabilitation, he quickly returned to his comrades and continued to defend the country from the occupiers. "Mykola was a kind, loyal friend and the best brother. He was dedicated to his work. He had a brave and sensitive heart, a calm and balanced character," said his sister Anastasia Stepanenko. The warrior was buried in his native village. Mykola is survived by his sister, aunt, other relatives, friends and comrades.