Oleksandr I. Borzylo (Borzyi)

32-year-old Sergeant Oleksandr Borzilo (call sign Borzyi) was killed on September 24, 2023 in a battle with the enemy near the village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhia region. When a shell from an enemy tank hit the dugout, he shielded his subordinates. The blast wave caused fatal internal injuries to the soldier. Oleksandr was a native of the Luhansk region. He lived in the city of Svatove. He had a secondary education. He worked at the Svatove Psychiatric Hospital, where he was the head of the rehabilitation center for occupational therapy. He loved nature and was passionate about fishing and hunting. In April 2022, Oleksandr voluntarily went to the military enlistment office and was later mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade, holding the positions of combat vehicle commander and squad commander. According to his relatives, during his service he carried out 26 sabotage and reconnaissance missions. Despite his health condition, he could have been transferred to the rear, but he kept repeating: "I cannot leave my comrades-in-arms." "My brother was truly an amazing person. I can't help but smile when I remember him... Throughout his life, he was the light and soul of our family, so many memories... and all of them with a smile on his lips and tears in his eyes. We all became refugees on April 8, 2022. When our city was occupied, we managed to leave. My brother immediately went to the military enlistment office as a volunteer and has been on the 'zero' line since April 2022. For all of us, he is a Hero, not just empty talk, but a fact. My brother had medical grounds to continue his service in a safe place, but he couldn't, the thought of not being with his guys tormented him, and in the end he saved them... When on September 24, 2023 at 5:00 a.m. a shell from an enemy tank hit the dugout, he shielded his comrades-in-arms, whom he had led into battle for the 26th and last time. Everyone survived, only our Sasha was killed, the guys were a little hit by shrapnel. But he was completely intact, his internal organs couldn't withstand it, though he fought to the last, dying in agony in the arms of the combat medic for almost an hour..." - said the deceased's sister Natalia Danylyshyna. The warrior was buried in the village of Veselynka, Zaporizhia region. Oleksandr is survived by his father Ihor, sister Natalia, and wife Tetiana.