Oksana L. Horpinich (Murashka)

Military paramedic Oksana Gorpinich (call sign Murashka) was killed on May 4, 2022, near the village of Protopopivka in the Kharkiv region. The military was providing medical assistance to a comrade when enemy artillery shelling began. The building they were in collapsed. Both . Two days before her death, the woman turned 44 years old. Oksana was born in the Russian village of Hordeevo. In her childhood, she moved with her family to the village of Blahodatne in Volyn. She graduated from the local school and fell in love. She got married at 17. Soon after, the couple had their first daughter, and a year later, their second. Oksana graduated from Kivertsi Medical College with honors. She worked as a nurse. She adored helping people and treating them. Her married life did not work out, and the couple divorced when the daughters grew up. In 2016, Oksana decided to go to the front. She signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine for three years. She served in the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Roman the Great. She carried out combat missions in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. She repeatedly saved the lives of her comrades and also assisted the civilian population. She was awarded the medals "For Military Service to Ukraine," "Combatant," the Presidential Award of Ukraine "For Participation in the Anti-Terrorist Operation," and the honorary badge "Defender of Luhansk Region." She never complained and realized there, at war, that she was in her place. From the first days of the full-scale war, Oksana continued to fulfill her military duty as part of her native brigade. She saved the lives of her comrades until the last minute. "Mom loved her country. She planned to return from the war only after victory. It is still hard to come to terms with the fact that we will never see you again, never hear you, you will not write... We will never forget the day when two Russian missiles took you away forever, we will never forgive. You were the best mother, grandmother, medic. We lost the dearest thing in our lives. Eternal memory to you, our heroine," noted daughters Natalia and Irina. "Always friendly. No matter what time you called, she would always listen, advise, and if needed, she would hop on her bicycle and come to provide help. She independently equipped a maternity point, always kept it ready with supplies. She traveled between two villages, pedaling to help the sick. Our Doctor Oksana. And no other way. I kept thinking, how does she not get tired of visiting those grandmothers and grandfathers, mothers with babies? They could also come to her. But she had her own truth. She was always helping others," wrote fellow villager Ksenia Shchutska about the deceased. "A terrible war that we did not start, in which there are no fakes. Ordinary Russians, believe me, finally open your eyes, this was done by your government, your elite... We are on our God-given land; we have not taken anything from anyone. We did not care what language you spoke and which church you attended. And when I said that a professional army with professional weapons stands against us in the East, my closest ones did not believe me, and that hurts even more... We will stand firm; we will not give up... No matter how high the price is... If we can save at least a few settlements intact, we will try to do that..." Oksana wrote two months before her death. The brave woman was buried at the cemetery in the village of Bilichi, Volyn region. Oksana is survived by her parents, two daughters, and two grandchildren. Posthumously, Senior Sergeant Oksana Gorpinich was awarded the Order of "For Courage" III degree.