Oleksandr F. Taranovych (Chibis)

36-year-old soldier Oleksandr Taranovich (call sign Chibis) was killed in battle on August 9, 2023 near the village of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region. The defender received fatal injuries during enemy artillery shelling. Oleksandr was born in the village of Vetly, Volyn region. After graduating from the local school in 2004, he entered the Liubeshiv Vocational and Technical School, where he obtained the profession of a driver. From April 2005, he served in the 80th separate airmobile regiment. In 2008, he got married and moved to the village of Studenytsya, Zhytomyr region. He worked at stone processing enterprises and later at a service station. Together with his wife, he raised three sons, to whom he devoted his free time. He also loved fishing. With the start of the full-scale invasion, the man actively participated in the organization of local self-defense and was a member of the volunteer formation of the village of Studenytsya. On July 13, 2022, he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Initially, he was assigned to military unit A7088, which was later disbanded. Therefore, Oleksandr was transferred to the 116th separate mechanized brigade, where he held the position of driver. In the summer of 2023, he successfully completed retraining for non-commissioned officers in the United Kingdom. After returning, together with his comrades-in-arms, he defended the Zaporizhzhia direction. "Thank you, my love, that you were in my life, but, unfortunately, so little..." - wrote the wife of the deceased. Oleksandr was buried in the village of Studenytsya, Zhytomyr region. At home, his wife Ivanna and three sons - Eleazar, Manuel, and Benjamin - were waiting for him. The hero was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage of the III degree.