Oleksandr M. Feshtryha (Sakura)

The "Cyborg" and scout Oleksandr Festryha (call sign Sakura) was killed in action on May 22, 2022, near the city of Izium in the Kharkiv region. The defender was 42 years old. Oleksandr was born in the village of Repuzhyntsi in the Chernivtsi region. As a child, he adored pets, mountains, and forests. He could not stand crying, was cheerful, positive, sociable, and energetic. He started school in Chernivtsi, but instead of studying, he became passionate about boxing. He immersed himself in it completely. In his teenage years, Oleksandr began practicing karate at the "Sakura" club. Later, the name of this club would become his call sign in the military. Oleksandr's stubbornness and willpower helped him in sports — he became a 6-time champion of Ukraine in kickboxing. Eventually, he got married, enrolled in an agricultural college, and obtained a degree in accounting, worked as a coach, raised his wife's son from her first marriage, and very much wanted his own children. He also got a pit bull dog and named it Knopa. He loved to travel to his native village with his dog, walk on the hill by the Dniester River, and communicate with his relatives. Later, he married for the second time. In this marriage, he raised his own daughter Kira. Two years later, the Revolution of Dignity began, in which Sakura actively participated. There he met the "Right Sector," with whom he later went as a volunteer to Donbas in 2014. He fought in battles for Donetsk Airport, the village of Pisky, and the city of Avdiivka. In 2015, he received five wounds, lost an eye and 17 teeth. Despite this, he remained in the military, engaged in sports, and trained other soldiers. When the full-scale war began, Sakura, as part of the 93rd separate mechanized brigade "Kholodny Yar," went to defend Kharkiv region. He held the position of the chief sergeant of the reconnaissance company. In May, he was blown up by an enemy tripwire. The defender was buried in his native village. He is survived by his mother, wife, and daughter.