Stukalo Oleh Yu

Born on August 16, 1979, in the village of Smilchyntsi, Lysyanskyi district, Cherkasy region. In 1996, he graduated from the 11th grade of Lysyanska Secondary School of I-III degrees No. 2. Immediately after finishing school, he entered the Kyiv Institute of Ground Forces in the tank engineering faculty. In 2000, due to the liquidation of the institute, the entire course was transferred to the Kharkiv Institute of Tank Troops, and Oleg completed his 5th year in Kharkiv. After graduation, he was assigned to continue his service in the 128th Separate Guards Mountain Infantry Turkestan-Zakarpattia Twice Red Banner Brigade of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which was stationed in Mukachevo, Zakarpattia region. Before the events in the East, he was the chief of staff of the 891st Separate Rear Support Battalion. He was respected by both superiors and subordinates. He was a strict, demanding, and fair commander, a born military man. He valued the honor of an officer. The events that took place in Eastern Ukraine in 2014 did not leave Major Stukal indifferent. As a professional military man, he fulfilled his duty in the ATO zone. The last position he held was deputy commander of a mechanized battalion—a combat unit that was holding the defense in the village of Olkhovatka, south of Debaltseve. On February 18, 2015, at dawn, during the withdrawal from the Debaltseve encirclement, Oleg was killed. His battalion covered the retreat of the main forces of the brigade and was the last to leave. Oleg was only 35 years old. His parents lost a son, his sister lost a brother, his wife lost a husband, and his 9-year-old son lost a father. He was buried on March 12, 2015, in the town of Lysynka, Cherkasy region.