Oleksandr M. Kapliienko

Kaplienko Oleksandr Mykolaiovych was born on September 10, 1972, in the village of Fedorivka, Nikolske District, Donetsk Region. For over 6 years, Chief Sergeant Oleksandr Kaplienko dedicated himself to serving the Ukrainian people and fulfilling his military duty. During his service in the 1st Border Guard Detachment, Oleksandr Kaplienko carried out combat missions to protect the territorial integrity of Ukraine, giving a worthy rebuff to the invaders. On February 24, 2022, like thousands of other border guards in northern, eastern, and southern territories of Ukraine, he bravely confronted the Russian aggressor. As part of a group of servicemen from the border guard unit, he executed combat missions near the village of Novomykhailivka in the Marinka District of Donetsk Region. On April 7, 2022, the enemy repeatedly shelled the positions and the place of duty of the border guards with mortars and artillery, attacked, and attempted to break through the positions of the defense line of the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade, using tanks and armored vehicles. The border guards, together with the servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, resisted the Russian occupiers, covering the approaches to the village of Novomykhailivka to prevent the enemy's breakthrough. Fierce battles ensued, during which Oleksandr Kaplienko heroically fell. The body of the border guard remained on the battlefield. To this day, there is no possibility to evacuate the body. For courage and selfless actions demonstrated during the performance of official duties to ensure the protection of the state border and territorial integrity of Ukraine, Chief Sergeant Kaplienko Oleksandr Mykolaiovych was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage III degree.